Re “For those like me, homeless policies miss the mark (Oct. 24): I want to praise David Lee Condrey for his invaluable perspective on the challenges of homelessness.

Despite outrageous amounts of funds spent, policy churn, numerous workers, shelter expansions and contractions, housing fantasies, cleanups, media coverage, government programs and political posturing, homelessness is growing. Condrey has surgically diagnosed the homeless/government complex as compassionless, impersonal, insincere, disdainful, indifferent and biased. “Not all help is helpful” he says. Indeed.

Condrey talks about our collective failure, but labels government apathy as the main cause. I agree with him to a point, but it’s the public’s apathy that is the main culprit here. We are getting the services for homeless people that we deserve due to our neglect. When are we going to learn that the homelessness requires compassionate care and inclusion, but that we can’t expect government to fill that void?

— Brad Fox, Fallbrook