By Derek Lantzsch Santa Monica
I’m writing about the letter to the editor (SMDP, June 1, page 4). These poor homeless youths who are living on the street reading the paper and offended by the opinions of others. You would think that in the time that they wrote these letters they could have created their own resumes, or if they have resumes, in the time they wrote these letters, they could have faxed to at least 20 different employers in the area. They could go to Chrysalis or any number of other organizations on the Westside that help homeless people find houses, jobs and medical care. But they chose to write a letter to the editor and express their offense in hearing the opinions of the housed. Debbie writes “you can always offer homeless people a job instead of looking at us like nothing.” Well, I can tell you Debbie, as a career counselor for the last five years, I have many times showed job listings, told homeless about where to get work for the day, the week, or to get a job part-time or full-time, and have even handed out resources that list addresses from organizations that help people. And I’m here to tell you that most homeless people that I have spoken to repeatedly keep asking me for money and often don’t even accept a list of resources. They won’t even take the paper that I’ve made time to put together for them. Why? I don’t know. But I do know that something has to be done.
I came up with an idea. Why don’t we opened a volunteer office, run by volunteers, that is the office of “Homelessness and Health and Employment”?
And every person who comes to Santa Monica has 30 days to find a place to live that is legal, meaning that it has an address where mail can be received.
Those who do not find a place to live in 30 days would register with City Hall as a homeless person. Then they would be asked to join the homelessness and health and employment program or leave the city. This would be for those people not only willing to work but also able to work.
For those that are homeless who cannot work for various reasons, we would call to different homeless shelters throughout Southern California, find a bed, and send them to that center with that bed, at no cost to them.
This is true management of homelessness. This is a humane way to deal with the stress in our community that is increasing and affecting both the homeless and the homed. Neither of whom wants that added stress or should have to deal with it.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 7, 2004. Read the original PDF.