To the editor: As for the Supreme Court's decision on Grants Pass, no one wants to see homeless people arrested for sleeping on public property. That said, the proliferation of homeless encampments in California is an unsustainable travesty. These massive encampments affect everyone. People are afraid to walk down the street. Cities must have the power to control what happens within their boundaries. This issue is being approached from the wrong side.
If people are camping on public property due to mental illness or addiction, they should be taken to a place where they can receive treatment. Housing supervised by mental health professionals with addiction services is a good investment.
Nathan Post, Santa Barbara
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To the editor: Who are you kidding? If the numbers are correct, the 2.2% drop seen between 2023 and 2024 amounted to exactly 1,008 fewer homeless people, leaving 45,252 people living on the streets of the City of Los Angeles, not to mention the tens of thousands living in the rest of Los Angeles County. At this rate, it will take over 45 years to provide relief to our homeless residents and our impacted communities.
It is time for our advocates and government officials to adopt more practical, multifaceted strategies and not rely so much on the slow process of building more permanent, affordable and expensive housing.
Los Angeles needs smarter strategies to prevent and end homelessness. We must recognize that much of the homeless population suffers from serious health, mental health, and substance abuse issues that prevent them from holding employment or independently caring for themselves. Housing alone is not a realistic strategy to successfully serve this population. Many will require lifelong treatment and supportive housing to maintain stability.
We need to bring together compassion for both the homeless population and affected communities with public health expertise to adopt more realistic strategies.
Mary M. Emmons, Los Angeles
