Readers React: Why homelessness makes it so easy to feed an addiction

To the editor: There was a good line in Steve Lopez’s column about addiction and homelessness: “The absence of well-paying jobs and affordable rent can sabotage self-control and crush hope.”

A $20 bill will not buy housing. When someone is down and out, cigarettes, beer and maybe food for a pet may seem like the only things they want that they can also buy.

Obtaining alcohol is easy; digging out of the deep hole of addiction and homelessness is really hard.

Ken Hense, Los Angeles

..

To the editor: Lopez mentions a recovering addict who will be “graduating to a sober living home in a few days, but noted that a lot of neighbors don’t want such places near their homes.”

I have to agree — it would be absolutely terrible to have sober people living near me.

If we allowed that, who would move in next? Thoughtful people? Generous people? Selfless people? The horror!

Geoff Kuenning, Claremont

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook