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A homeless encampment on Fifth Street, off Mandela Parkway, sits near the West Oakland BART Station. Mayor Barbara Lee\u2019s homelessness plan will require hundreds of millions of dollars in new investments.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yalonda M. James\/S.F. Chronicle<\/p>\n
Regarding \u201cOakland Mayor Barbara Lee vows to cut street homelessness in half in 5 years. Can she do it?\u201d<\/a> (East Bay, SFChronicle.com, March 14): Oakland\u2019s plan to reduce homelessness by 50% over the next five years deserves strong public support, not just as housing policy, but as public health policy.<\/p>\n People experiencing homelessness in Alameda County face disproportionately high rates of chronic illness, untreated mental health conditions and preventable emergency room use. These are not isolated issues; they reflect systemic gaps in how we address health care through law and policy. When people lack stable housing, managing even basic health conditions becomes nearly impossible.<\/p>\n What makes Oakland\u2019s approach notable is its emphasis on prevention and supportive housing rather than reactive encampment sweeps. Evidence consistently shows that permanent supportive housing reduces hospitalizations, lowers public costs and improves long-term health outcomes.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n However, for this plan to succeed, city leaders must ensure sustained funding for mental health services and strengthen coordination between housing programs and county health systems. Without this integration, even well-intentioned policies will fall short.<\/p>\n If we are serious about improving community health in the Bay Area, we must move beyond short-term fixes and invest in solutions that address root causes. Housing is not separate from health care; it is foundational to it.<\/p>\n San Francisco Chronicle Logo<\/p>\n Make us a Preferred Source to get more of our news when you search.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Add Preferred Source<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Jenna Odeh, Castro Valley<\/p>\n We can save ourselves<\/p>\n Regarding \u201cTrump is waging a holy war in Iran. A Marin congressman is fighting one at home\u201d<\/a> (Politics, SFChronicle.com, March 17): I am so proud to be represented by Jared Huffman in Congress. I applaud his courage in revealing that he is not a member of any religion, nor a believer. I am sure he will be reviled and possibly threatened for his lack of faith in a supreme being.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Like Huffman, I also believe in humanism. We can all be compassionate and kind. We can all take care of our Earth. We don\u2019t have to wait for some alleged savior to save us. As a recent protest sign said: Only the people save the people.<\/p>\n President Donald Trump and members of his administration, with all their claimed Christian piety, are the worst hypocrites in history.\u00a0<\/p>\n They don\u2019t ask themselves what Jesus would do when they deport families and children with no due process, when they kill innocent people around the world\u00a0\u2014 many of them children\u00a0\u2014 and as they hurt the poor and marginalized members of our country.\u00a0<\/p>\n I believe that under Trump, if there\u2019s a Second Coming and our Jewish friend Jesus showed up, he would be immediately deported. After all, he was most likely a person of color.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Ballfields not wanted<\/p>\n Regarding \u201cNature lovers unite to save trees and sod fields in S.F. park: \u2018This is the last stand\u2019\u2019\u2019<\/a> (San Francisco, SFChronicle.com, March 8): The San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department cites \u2018unmet demand\u2019 for baseball fields to justify changes at Crocker Amazon. But the source of that claim\u00a0\u2014 a 2004 consultant report<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 tells a different story.<\/p>\n The report surveyed San Franciscans<\/a> on which recreation facilities they needed most. Out of 19 options, adult baseball ranked 17th, youth baseball 18th. Dead last? Skateboarding. First place, by a landslide: walking and biking trails, cited by 80% of respondents.<\/p>\n The report also found that only 3% of households said they would play more softball or baseball if more facilities existed\u00a0\u2014 not a mandate for 30 new fields.<\/p>\n San Franciscans made clear 20 years ago what they wanted: more places to walk in nature. The trees and open space at Crocker Amazon Park offer exactly that.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Before this parkland is repurposed, the city deserves an honest accounting of who this serves\u00a0\u2014 and who it doesn\u2019t.<\/p>\n Bob Hall, co-founder, Keep Crocker Real, San Francisco<\/p>\n Don\u2019t blame pedestrians<\/p>\n Guest opinions in Open Forum and Insight are produced by writers with expertise, personal experience or original insights on a subject of interest to our readers. Their views do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Chronicle editorial board, which is committed to providing a diversity of ideas to our readership.<\/p>\n Read more about our transparency and ethics policies<\/a><\/p>\n