Letters to the Editor: $750,000 to build a homeless housing unit? L.A. taxpayers will remember that

To the editor: An audit by Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin identified two homeless housing projects whose costs soared to nearly $750,000 per unit.

One project’s costs increased because the developer had to make significant changes in response to lawsuits filed to stop construction. The other project’s costs were inflated because it was built on a steep hillside.

The projects are considered to be “outliers” because of the circumstances surrounding them.

Why in the world were these projects built? Who should have been responsible for reviewing the cost estimates before construction began and deciding the projects just didn’t make sense?

I hope voters remember these projects when we are next asked to approve tax increases for “affordable” housing.

Gerry Swider, Sherman Oaks

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To the editor: Voters in the city of Los Angeles approved Proposition HHH in 2016, giving the city $1.2 billion to help build housing for homeless people. In the resulting four years, only three projects have opened.

One project parceled out at $750,000 per unit. This project, appropriately known by locals as “The Cliffs,” has fallen off a financial cliff. It required extensive renovation of the site to grade it for development. Possibly this wasn’t the best site to build on, if that is the case.

The thing is, these units should not cost so much. We will never get anywhere on housing Los Angeles’ homeless people with this kind of leadership.

I say put Galperin in charge of the city. He seems to be the only one watching out for us financially.

Mindy Taylor-Ross, Venice