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Don’t blame homeless
for their misfortune
Re: “Treat addiction, mental illness to help homeless” (Page A6, May 16).
In a letter to the editor, the author writes that Dan Walter’s article on the causes of homelessness, which stated that the main cause is a lack of housing, is wrong. The letter-writer insists that mental illness and drugs are the real causes of homelessness.
Santa Clara County’s 2023 Homeless Census and Survey indicates that the greatest cause of homelessness is a lost job at 24%. The next greatest cause is alcohol or drug use at 11%.
Don’t blame the homeless for their situation when it is caused by a systemic failure to permit the construction of sufficient housing for the county’s population.
Susan Price
San Jose
First responders need
training for disability
As a San Jose resident and mother of a child with autism, I’ve witnessed firsthand the urgent need for better support and understanding for those with invisible disabilities.
My son faces daily challenges due to insufficient training among educators and language barriers that hinder advocacy. Moreover, a personal tragedy involving my uncle, who is severely intellectually disabled, underscores this need. He was unjustly treated by police who lacked awareness of his condition, mistaking his disability for a threat. This incident could have been avoided with proper training for public service providers.
I urge our community leaders and policymakers to prioritize training programs for all public service personnel and to implement multilingual resources to ensure all children and vulnerable adults receive the understanding and support they deserve.
Leslie Moreno
San Jose
PG&E shows disdain
for its customers
On the envelope of my monthly PG&E bill in bold print was, “Don’t be surprised by a higher bill.”
Regardless of its intent, it demonstrates the utter contempt PG&E has for its customers.
Dick Yaeger
Sunnyvale
Source: www.mercurynews.com