Readers React: We need a homeless shelter in Venice. And Westchester. And Hollywood ...

To the editor: I applaud the diligence of the Venice resident who wrote a letter detailing the proposal he submitted to the Los Angeles City Council for potential homeless shelter and permanent supportive housing sites outside his neighborhood.

However, it is not realistic to think that homeless people in Venice will just relocate to the suggested site in Westchester, or if they do, that they won’t be replaced by others migrating to Venice. And I’m certain that Westchester has its own homeless individuals to fill any housing without needing more from Venice.

West L.A. has an ample supply of homeless residents, so we need all the suitable shelter sites we can find. I urge Los Angeles officials look at all the “suitable city-owned sites” the letter writer has discovered — not as an alternative to development of the Metro bus lot in Venice as a temporary shelter, but as additional candidates for the development of supportive housing.

Melissa Stoller, Los Angeles

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To the editor: The elephant in the room is the fact that the most severely mentally ill homeless people will not be helped by the proposed shelters. This is because they’re too severely disabled to succeed in the shelters.

The city needs success in its efforts to reduce homelessness.

City Councilman Mike Bonin states that the reason for building a shelter in Venice is because homeless people already live in Venice. Of course, they come from all over the United States to one of the most sought-after areas in California. This doesn’t mean you should build them housing here.

Mindy Taylor-Ross, Venice

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