Letters to the Editor: A disgraceful NIMBY push to block homeless housing in Chatsworth

To the editor: I am not surprised by the delaying tactics of Los Angeles City Councilman John Lee, who is attempting to block construction of a homeless housing complex in Chatsworth.

This is another example of politicians retreating under the pressure of NIMBY neighbors, whose personal selfishness and social and political shortsightedness are obstacles to finding a pragmatic and fair solution for our county’s more than 60,000 homeless residents.

It is always important to remember that the United States is a signatory to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states in Article 25, “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care.”

Nestor Fantini, Northridge

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To the editor: I applaud Lee for his willingness to revisit the Chatsworth project.

Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin recently did an audit of Proposition HHH funding for homeless projects, and he concluded that the funds were being misspent. Projects are costing too much and not getting the desired results.

Developers see HHH funding as a fat goose that laid the golden egg, and state and federal funding has exploded for homeless housing and services.

Funding needs to be carefully distributed, so as to avoid over-paying for these projects — because this is about housing for homeless people, not a get-rich-quick scheme for developers.

Mindy Taylor-Ross, Venice