Letters to the Editor: Building more affordable housing is key to getting the homeless off downtown streets

Los Angeles Times

27-05-2025

To the editor: Columnist LZ Granderson rightfully says that removing encampments and getting people shelter are necessary to bolstering our downtowns ('Pushing more Americans into homelessness is no way to revitalize downtowns,' May 24). However, the current rate of getting people out of shelters and into homes is dismal because there is a lack of affordable housing.
In my role as vice chair of the Buena Park Navigation Center Oversight Commission, I see that less than 15% of clients leave to go to stable housing in spite of extensive housing navigation support. The lucky few who are able to obtain housing are in the center for more than a year, a place designed for short-term stays.
We need more creative strategies to ensure that safe places to call home are available for everyone. We need to build more housing and, while waiting five to 10 years for it to be built, we need creative solutions such as single-room occupancy spaces, tiny homes and shared-housing models. We also need more programs to prevent people from falling into homelessness in the first place, such as rental assistance, utility assistance, legal representation at eviction courts and support when a crisis hits and people are living check to check. Our state, county and city budgets and policies can support these strategies.
Barry Ross, Santa Ana
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To the editor: It is really disappointing to see a Los Angeles Times opinion writer say that officials shouldn't be focused on 'offering tax breaks to would-be developers' for building places for the homeless in downtowns. It shows that people don't have a basic understanding of why others are homeless. We have a skyrocketing homeless population because we don't have enough places for people to live.
Changing the rules to build more homes is the best thing that politicians could do to help the homeless. Sure, the homeless might not move into all those new shiny downtown towers, but having people living in those new towers would free up more housing for the people who need it the most.
Or we can just keep stalling on new housing and the rich will take the housing the poorer population currently has and the number of homeless people in downtowns will increase.
Josh Albrektson, South Pasadena