Building long-term housing is great, but what about helping the homeless now?

To the editor: Well-intentioned city and county officials have proposed various long-term solutions to the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles County. But we also need interim solutions, because building housing and obtaining funding for these proposals will take years.

In the meantime, our homeless population continues to grow.

Why not allow homeless veterans to camp on the Department of Veterans Affairs campus in Westwood? This land was set aside for veterans, and it should be used for their benefit. Portable toilets and showers, mental health services and substance abuse programs could be provided in a central location.

It is only fitting that the federal government share the responsibility for those who served our country but are now homeless and in need of help. Perhaps the sight of thousands of homeless men and women camped on the campus will shame the VA into taking action more quickly.

To the editor: We can't build our way out of the homelessness crisis. New construction takes time, and it's often at least five years before someone gets a bed. If current trends continue, there would be a 90% increase in tents on our sidewalks before new housing comes online.

Homelessness for veterans went down. Why? They got a housing voucher and a case manager. At the maximum, that costs $20,000 per person. To reduce the current number of people living on the street by half would cost $940 million.

That sounds like a lot of money unless you're the city and county of Los Angeles, which are helped by the federal government.

A housing voucher and a case manager means people can improve their health outcomes and stabilize enough to live independently and pay their own rent. It's that easy.

Marsha Temple, Los Angeles The writer is executive director of the nonprofit Integrated Recovery Network.

To the editor: Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti finds it worrisome that Los Angeles' homeless population is growing, especially those who go “unsheltered.” He should not be shocked.

How long was Garcetti on the City Council before he became mayor? It is his and all the other decisions made by the council over the years that have led to this. How many failing, taxpayer-funded programs have they implemented over the years?

Transients have been allowed to take over and openly use drugs and alcohol on the streets, often with no police action. Anyone who does not want to be a responsible citizen can take to the streets and they know they will have no consequences. Just as we have shaken up national politics, we need to shake up City Hall and oust the career politicians who do little to improve quality of life for the taxpayers who pay their salaries. Instead, they put drug addicts and alcoholics who chose to live this way before the safety of responsible citizens.