Rocks Under Bridges Displace the Homeless
What a contrast in your recent edition (Sept 24): On the front page of the Orange County section, there is an article about the homeless under the McFadden and Edinger overpasses. On the same page, we see lots of new construction being started at UC Irvine. I added up a total of $41 million in new dorms and apartments. Just great. What are our legislators and county people doing about the homeless?
I’ll tell you what--they travel about the state attending luncheons addressing the housing crisis, mouthing what they hope sounds great and doing nothing. The state funds should be reallocated. Some of the $41 million could go to dorms for the homeless: reasonably priced sleeping areas and baths.
Fountain Valley is selling off school sites, but it will probably need them later with the current baby boom, so why don’t the county and city join and lease these schools as dorms for homeless? This could be a fair swap for the use of the property in lieu of the more costly homes some developer wants to put up there.
Service agencies could come there to help relocate these folks, educate them, see that they have adequate clothing and find them jobs. They do not make enough to rent here any more, unless cities also zone larger homes as rooming houses.
The immediate need is more public baths and restrooms, or else these folks will defecate on streets and in parks.
PHYLISS K. SALYER-CARRUTHERS
Huntington Beach
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