August 9, 2010

Dear Editor:

My support of Project 50 was contingent upon staff promises that mental health and substance abuse treatment were required components – the Times’ series made clear that this was not the case.  

Mr. Lopez’ 8-8-10 column, “A skid row project that deserves a chance,” failed to acknowledge the variety of Los Angeles County’s many successful programs currently providing effective solutions and treatment for the homeless outside of downtown’s skid row -- many in the County’s Fifth Supervisorial District that I represent. 

In other Los Angeles County communities, we have developed numerous cost-effective public/private partnerships that incorporate local government, business, service organizations and faith-based groups to provide housing, meals, job development, healthcare, case management services -- coupled with vital mental health care and substance abuse rehabilitation for individuals, families, at-risk youth, and those emancipating from foster care.  In the last four years, the County has served 46,000 individuals and 20,000 families through 32 homelessness programs – not just 62 people served by Project 50. 

Furthermore, in February 2008, in partnership with Supervisors Molina and Knabe, I commissioned a 5-year regional homelessness solution for the 31 cities and unincorporated areas comprising the San Gabriel Valley, in line with the national model supported by the federal government’s Department of Housing and Urban Development.    

Project 50 portends that simply housing the homeless ends their homelessness. Publicly housing a mentally-ill, substance abusing individual indefinitely under the “no strings attached” approach of Project 50 simply places a band aid on a disease that requires surgery.   Scarce taxpayer resources need to be devoted to supporting and expanding homelessness programs with proven track records of service. 

Ultimately, fundamental reform of the state’s broken mental health laws is necessary to free the service–resistant, mentally-ill homeless, who are locked in a broken system of warehousing without healing.  Anything less is immoral and irresponsible.

Michael D. Antonovich
Supervisor