Readers write

Temporary shelters are no substitute for permanent housing

The recent guest opinion column by Atlanta Housing CEO Terri Lee, “Atlanta is running out of the tools that make affordable housing possible” (June 23, 2026), highlights a structural crisis we can no longer afford to ignore. As a veteran and graduate social work student, I have seen how the shortage of affordable housing drives homelessness across Georgia. Atlanta loses roughly 1,000 affordable housing units a year, placing many vulnerable families at increased risk of homelessness.

When local leaders rely too heavily on temporary emergency shelters rather than building permanent housing, we are just putting a Band-Aid on a deep wound. Living in cars and shelters is highly traumatic. It shatters family stability, disrupts children’s education, and makes it nearly impossible for unhoused individuals to manage health issues or secure steady jobs.

To prevent more of our neighbors from falling into homelessness, our leaders must act on visible warning signs and close the $350 million funding gap. We need dedicated regional housing trusts, expanded rapid-rehousing assistance, and sustained investments in supportive services.

Temporary shelters have a role, but they cannot replace permanent, affordable housing. True advocacy means moving past short-term crisis management. We must treat affordable housing as a vital public utility and ensure everyone has a safe, permanent foundation from which to rebuild their lives.

JOO MILLER, COMMERCE

Georgia senators support voter ID, but vote against it

Both Georgia U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock responded to my correspondence that they support voter ID and election integrity. Yet, they both have voted against the citizenship and voter ID specified in the Save America Act. Why?

They claim it disenfranchises minority voters. Does this mean they think minorities are too dumb to register? It seems that the Democrats want to enfranchise noncitizens to vote. Will Ossoff and Warnock vote for what is best for Georgia, or will they continue to vote the Democratic Party line?

JOHN BRYAN, GAINESVILLE

Trump’s meddling undermined our soccer team

As an Atlantan who has gotten into the World Cup spirit through my adult children’s passion for soccer and its global reach, I am mightily disappointed that the Machiavellian ploy by President Donald Trump zapped the American spirit from our U.S. men’s soccer team.

By bending the rules to suit his power-playing whims and enlarged view of his influence, Trump once again showed himself to be a self-absorbed manipulator whose sense of fair play and any moral code are nonexistent. The backlash in the soccer world from Trump’s influence peddling undermined our soccer team and contributed to their huge, disappointing loss to Belgium.