Too Many People, Too Few Roofs

Re “In Housing Density, It’s Too Close for Comfort,” Sept. 15: Illegals don’t complain about poor conditions in housing or at work. As this becomes the norm, even when people do complain the city can’t enforce codes or it will put people out on the street. Ditto for workplace wage undercutting. When the wages spiral down, safety standards fall and employers must use illegals because their competitors are doing so, and because citizens who don’t live 20 adults to a household won’t work for slave wages.

Linda Noon

Escondido

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Cramped housing is a result of too many people. Perhaps a solution would be to have fewer babies. I am sorry for the living conditions, but overpopulation is a choice.

Carole Hatcher

Los Angeles

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Let me tell my story from a landlord’s perspective. I used to own a two-bedroom, one-bath home in Vista, Calif. My tenants sublet the home, garage and two outbuildings to additional people, plus their family of four. With multiple refrigerators and 12 people using the plumbing, it totaled the house. I attempted to evict everyone. I evicted the original family, listed the home for sale and the rest of the group moved back in!

I received water and trash bills from the city (which had reinstated the services), as it is a health hazard for people to live without them. These were nonpaying squatters, but I was stuck with the bills. I couldn’t sell it; real estate agents couldn’t show it. Ultimately, I quit-claimed the home back to the bank. I lost over $50,000. I am not wealthy, and this was a huge loss.

Marty Lich

Gypsum, Colo.