Homeless Need Help of Cities

* Re “More Help for the Homeless,” Jan. 10 editorial:

The Orange County Homeless Issues Task Force and all of our member shelter and service providers are proud and appreciative of the grant of $6.48 million from the federal Housing and Urban Development Department.

We are thankful for the assistance of county housing and community development staff for the efforts they put into the application and the endless hours of community participation by our members and their staff.

However, although the grant will serve approximately one-eighth of the homeless in Orange County, it is restricted in that it only funds transitional housing programs and permanent affordable housing.

Although it does fund some services on an emergency basis, there is no funding for emergency shelters, which provide the immediate help needed before a homeless person can begin to access other programs.

Add to that the fact that we may only use the Santa Ana and Fullerton armories for this one last winter, and that we may have to close them earlier than March 15 if we run out of funding for the $450-per-night per armory rent that the state National Guard charges, and it is clear that the HUD grant, although welcome, does not begin to serve the homeless population to any great degree.

We have been requesting that the cities join the county and federal government in funding the cold-weather shelter program both to continue the program this winter and to help provide alternatives for the following winters, and want them to know that even with the $6.48 million, the problem is not solved and their help is still urgently needed.

LEE PODOLAK

Santa Ana

* No one wants to become homeless.

[Whether they are] women, or Vietnamese who fought against the Communists and became homeless in this country, or whether they are homeless children--the most pitiful sight!

Religious organizations should take steps to help them. Cities, communities and religious organizations could work together so homeless people could get work, even part-time jobs.

Then the number of homeless will [decline] and the dream comes true.

KEN DAO

Garden Grove