Extra Letters: PD readers comment on homelessness

A container village

EDITOR: I stayed in a village of converted shipping containers for employees on the American Embassy compound in Afghanistan. Each container was a one-room bed/living room with a TV, a desk and an attached bathroom. Each had a window. Concrete walkways wound around them. While they all looked pretty much the same on the outside, some of the insides were elaborately decorated. Other containers served as offices. Surely a precedent for quick, cheap housing (“Finding a place for the homeless,” Editorial, Wednesday).

VIRGINIA FOLEY

Guerneville

A safe place to stay

EDITOR: Instead of shifting the thousands of homeless people in Sonoma County from place to place, we need to create clean and safe locations where people can come. We must provide dumpsters, porta-potties and security. We need to allow vehicles and tents. We need to allow pets and provide poop bags. Fifty tiny houses isn't the answer; there are too many homeless people who need help.

Better, varied solutions will emerge, but in the meantime the least we should do is help them be safe and cleaner.

DONNA CHERLIN

Forestville

Helping the homeless

EDITOR: In response to Tuesday's editorial, I have a couple of ideas. I understand that Eugene, Oregon has started a pilot program to help the homeless. They built tiny homes, about the size of a storage shed, where people sleep. There is a common area where people can use toilet and shower facilities. They also have a common area where people can spend time together reading, playing cards, etc.

I have a therapy dog, and we visit the Palms Inn shelter for veterans. In conversations with people there, they tell me it isn't the cold and rain that bothers them as much as people stealing from them or physically and sexually assaulting them. These tiny homes would shelter and protect them.

Here in Santa Rosa, there are facilities like the Palms Inn and Sam Jones Hall. I would think that there are other buildings that also could serve to help these people.

They say that a society is measured by how well they care for their poorest and most needy citizens. I would love to see Santa Rosa step up to the plate and help these citizens.

STEVE JEFFRIES

Santa Rosa

Time for a camp

EDITOR: Yes, it is time (overdue) for a sanctioned campground for people who are homeless. It drives me crazy to see people rousted from place to place, losing what shred of consistency and security they have.

Despite great efforts made by Catholic Charities to find housing or shelter, there aren't enough places. A sanctioned campground won't indicate we have abandoned the “housing first” model: It will acknowledge we have a bigger problem.

Where is our humanity? I beg the Santa Rosa City Council and Sonoma County Board of Supervisors to find the will and courage to establish a regulated campground that provides sanitation, etc., and grants a modicum of dignity to people in need.

I feel certain a small army of volunteers will step up to help.

BETSY TIMM

Santa Rosa