Letters to the Editor: I got my homeless friend into housing. It took more than two years

To the editor: I tried for more than two years to get a homeless friend into housing. The process has made me wonder how anyone can get help.

When I first tried to register my friend with Homeless Health Care Los Angeles, I was told he needed a tuberculosis test valid for 90 days. After calling every day for 18 months, I was finally told a unit was available.

By that time my friend had lost all his personal possessions, including his passport. So I had to get him a new ID. After waiting 30 days for the ID to arrive, I tried to register my friend again — only to be told I needed a current TB test. So we went and got him one.

About three months later, I got a call saying a room was available. When I brought my friend in for the interview, we were told his TB test result was 92 or 93 days old and, therefore, invalid. So we got him another test.

Then, when I went back to do paperwork for my friend, I was told he needed a medical checkup from his current physician. So we went and did that. I have no idea how anyone without a car can do all this.

As I listen to Mayor Karen Bass talk about placing homeless people into housing, I wonder if there’s a way to make our system easier to navigate. It took more than two years to get my friend into a place he can call home. I hope others have an easier time.

Nicholas Melillo, Los Angeles

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