In reading "Los Angeles fails on permanent housing" and "How to Save a City” in the May 21 issue, I find the costs and conflicts resulting from the homeless crisis astounding.

Even if every person on the street were given a structure to live in, homelessness is here to stay. The discarding of human life through abortion or neglect happens daily and has become acceptable.  People with a very poor attitude about life are injurious to themselves and those around them. We see this in drug addiction, sexual abuse, prostitution, and other vices. If homelessness continues to rise despite government entitlements, something is not working properly.

However, it is important to note that not all people coming from broken homes end up homeless. There are some who do suffer emotional scars but are able to pursue goals in life.

This begs the question: What ever happened to parenting? The best forum for education, discussion and action is at the parish level. Discussing with and learning from parents and educators could be valuable in helping reach out effectively to those at risk in our communities.

— Dolores Mandujano, Whittier