> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Letter: Homelessness, high rents and chronic alcoholism - URL: https://www.smdp.com/091104-story-20040911-3/ - Published: 2004-09-11T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T05:02:11.000Z - Author: Guest Author - Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import, Homelessness βœ† β€œThe first step would be to sober up and improve the conditions that cause homelessness β€” high rents and the lack of unskilled employments. Many years ago we had a large farm produce industry in California that hired migrant farm workers by the thousands. Those farms have now been replaced with housing developments, and our produce is imported from South America. Still the plague of homelessness is horribly compounded by the chronic alcoholism. Alcohol and tobacco are more addictive and deadly than any form of drugs.” *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 11, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/091104.pdf?ref=smdp.com)