Letter writer William Richardson asserts that homeless people would not be homeless if they would work, and that public benefits discourage them from working ("Who says we need to house the homeless?" June 2).
Where to begin? First, the homelessness crisis is caused in large part by the severe lack of affordable housing (many homeless people are, in fact, employed, but in low-paying jobs that still leave them unable to afford housing).
Second, public benefits do not provide enough income to house and feed a family. In addition, those benefits come with work requirements and are severely time-limited.
The Sun has published extensively on these topics. Printing factually inaccurate letters is a disservice to the public, including homeless people who are just trying to survive from day to day.
Tricia Rubacky and Antonia Fasanelli
The writers are, respectively, board member and executive director of the Homeless Persons Representation Project.