Regarding Susan Estrich’s June 9 column about money for the homeless: I spent years volunteering to feed the homeless, and I learned that homelessness has no single cause or simple solution. Money does not guarantee results. We see the same pattern in education.
This country has many shelters, outreach programs, treatment services, food programs and nonprofits offering help. The problem is not always the absence of assistance. In many cases, it is a matter of whether that help is accepted and whether communities will enforce reasonable standards.
When cities allow tents and encampments, people often remain. Camping laws should be enforced, while those affected are directed toward available shelter, treatment and services.
We should continue helping the homeless. But allowing people to live indefinitely in unsafe street conditions is not compassion, and spending more money without measurable results is not a solution.
