‘Fresh Start’

Thank you for your article on the Union Rescue Mission’s rehabilitation program for the homeless (“Skid Row Options,” Aug. 16).

For much too long, the popular belief has been that more housing will solve homelessness. Now more and more people are realizing that, while meeting physical needs is a necessary first step, rehabilitation is the key to getting people off Skid Row permanently.

One clarification: The article says that the Union Rescue Mission’s program is “the only one of its kind in Los Angeles.” The Los Angeles Mission’s intensive 9-year-old “Fresh Start” rehabilitation program helps individuals gain the self-esteem and job skills they need to re-enter society. Currently, 40 men and six women are receiving counseling and religious instruction, vocational training and job assignments. Over the past year, 10 formerly homeless individuals have graduated from the program and are now leading productive lives.

REV. MARK HOLSINGER

Director, Los Angeles Mission