Aiding Homeless Population

I am writing in regard to the two-part article on Fort Washington, the New York homeless shelter (Part A, May 5-6).

I have long recognized many of the problems raised in your articles. There are no simple answers to helping all of the homeless population. However, I would like to offer these simple guidelines for helping those who are willing and able to return to society:

1. Programs should be of a manageable size with 150 beds as a maximum.

2. Those who want help must be separated from those who don’t, because peer support and a safe, secure and sanitary environment are essential for success.

3. The homeless must be challenged to change their lives. The program must be highly structured and require household duties, job readiness and search training, mandatory savings and drug and alcohol abstinence. These personal disciplines are essential for independence.

Here in Los Angeles, these guidelines have been working since 1983 at Transition House, a project of Skid Row Development Corp. We enjoy a success rate of 48% in placing people in jobs and 70% of our residents find housing.

MARTHA BROWN HICKS

President, Skid Row Development Corp.