Re “Most homeless people aren’t violent, but a handful are predatory” (Feb. 2): An essay in the Union-Tribune noted barriers keeping people from thriving in our region, including substance use disorders and mental illness. It did not provide a broader perspective of San Diego’s homelessness crisis and of the type of leadership needed to end homelessness.
As president and CEO of Father Joe’s Villages, every day I see our team reorient neighbors by integrating services addressing their behavioral, developmental and other needs. Just last year, we saw a doubling in demand for substance use recovery services. Demand for our behavioral health services increased 2.5 times comparing the last quarter of 2025 to the last quarter of 2024.
Listing challenges that our neighbors face without acknowledging context leaves readers with incomplete narratives and is ill-advised and harmful, as it provides only a list of malices and damaging labels, rather than a list of solutions and knowledge of where to go to obtain support.
— Jim Vargas, San Diego