Letters to the Editor: If we can invade faraway countries, why can’t we house 41,000 homeless people now?

To the editor: In Karen Bass’ first 100 days as mayor of Los Angeles, the city found housing for more than 1,000 people. That’s a rate of 10 people per day. With an estimated 41,000 people living on the streets of Los Angeles, it will take more than 11 years to house the current population of homeless people in the city. (“Mayor Bass goes big on homelessness spending proposal,” editorial, April 19)

In 2003, within a few months the U.S. military was able to send about 160,000 troops to the Middle East, where it housed and fed them before they invaded Iraq. If we can invade a country on the other side of the planet in a few months, we should be able to house, feed and care for our own citizens here at home in the same amount of time.

This is a humanitarian crisis. Let’s get the help of military logistics teams to house, feed and care for our unsheltered population. Camp Pendleton, a major Marine Corps base, is just down the 5 Freeway.

Let’s solve this problem once and for all.

Donald Flaherty Fajardo, Los Angeles

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To the editor: There will never be a solution to homelessness when it costs more than $500,000 to build a small unit in Los Angeles. Other jurisdictions can do this for less than $100,000.

Something is seriously amiss.

Barry F. Chaitin, Newport Beach

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To the editor: I have five words for Bass: Make rehab available and affordable.

Have a meeting with people in recovery who were once homeless, and they will tell you how hard it is to get a bed in a rehabilitation center that is affordable.

I have been sober for 32 years and have met and worked with many alcoholics and addicts who at first seemed like they had mental health issues. You’d be surprised they were the same people when they got sober.

Tita Brown, Canyon Country

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To the editor: I agree with Bass’ assessment of what L.A. needs.

We need more temporary and permanent housing for our unhoused neighbors now. We need to bring them indoors with access to basic services like food, hygiene and case management services.

We also need an expansion of unarmed response teams so Angelenos do not continue to place emphasis on armed police to solve social service problems. Responding to mental health and quality-of-life issues requires a different approach.

Let’s change the focus from using people with guns to solve problems to having qualified, trained people solve problems without guns.

Jane Demian, Los Angeles