Homelessness: Solution finder wants to avoid isle politics

Lloyd Pendleton, known for his efforts to tackle homelessness in Utah, wants to move to Hawaii to help, but only if he can be part of a unified group representing each county, the state, businesses, faith-based groups and social service agencies all working together to end homelessness.

“I’m committed personally to bringing hope to our homeless citizens across the country,” Pendleton told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser during an interview Monday in Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s office. “But I’m not willing to come here unless there’s a local willingness among key players. … I need to be outside of the politics.”

Pendleton, 75, has won nationwide praise for his work in Salt Lake City, which became the second city behind Phoenix to end chronic homelessness for military veterans. He regularly flies around the country speaking to politicians, businesses and religious groups about Utah’s accomplishments, and brainstorms ways to address their local issues while also welcoming visitors to see Utah’s approach.

But Honolulu would be the first city where Pendleton would actually be hired as a consultant.

“He has the ability,” Caldwell said. “Do we, the rest of us, have the will to come together around Lloyd to make this difference?”

Councilwoman Kymberly Pine met with Pendleton on Tuesday and was impressed but had concerns about whether he could be effective in Hawaii’s political environment.

“He’s a very accomplished person who knows how to get things done in the area of homelessness. He’s certainly proven that,” Pine said. “Our problems in failing to deal with the (homeless) problems have all been based on political issues and leaders. I don’t know if that’s something he can solve, but I sure would like to help him to try.”

Since he arrived April 3 for his second visit in as many months, Pendleton’s been working out of the office of city Managing Director Roy Amemiya.

If he comes aboard as a consultant, Pendleton said, it would be best if he worked out of a nonprofit agency to avoid questions about his motives and loyalty.

Pendleton insisted he had no specific salary in mind, but would want it to come from a variety of sources in order for him to remain unbiased and credible.

He envisions using the existing Hawaii Interagency Council on Homelessness as the vehicle to get more things done.

Pendleton hopes it would be chaired by either Gov. David Ige or Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui to give the advisory body more clout. A co-chairmanship would rotate among all of the county mayors. The other seats on the council would be filled by representatives from businesses, faith-based groups and social services agencies.

Under state law the Interagency Council on Homelessness is chaired by the state homeless coordinator, Scott Morishige, and is run administratively out of the state Department of Human Services.

Its members skew toward representatives from state departments and state legislators but include each county mayor as well as faith-based and business groups to be designated by the governor.

Today Pendleton’s scheduled to meet once more with Morishige and DHS Director Rachael Wong before he returns to Utah.

“We’re interested in hearing his suggestions and ideas,” Morishige said. “We’re very open to continuing the conversation with Lloyd and hearing what suggestions he has for us.”

Following successful careers with Ford Motor Co. and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, where he was in charge of humanitarian relief for Europe and Africa, Pendleton went on to become a homeless coordinator in Utah.

Utah, with 2.9 million people, has more than twice Hawaii’s population. But its 3,025 homeless people are not even half of Hawaii’s 7,620 homeless population.

In Hawaii, Pendleton would see his role as advising the Interagency Council on Homelessness and serving as a “coach and mentor” to Morishige and Jun Yang, executive director of the city Office of Housing.

Pendleton plans to head home to Utah this week and talk to his wife, Mary Beth, before deciding his next step.

Whether or not he comes back to focus on easing homelessness in the islands, Pendleton said he was “extremely impressed” with everyone he met.

“Everybody wants to have something happen,” Pendleton said.

In return, Pendleton impressed City Council Chairman Ernie Martin, a frequent Caldwell critic who is unhappy that more progress is not being made to reduce homelessness.

“Definitely, he’s very energetic, very enthusiastic,” Martin said after meeting with Pendleton on Tuesday. “I think there is a sincere willingness on his part to assist Honolulu in making more progress than we have thus far.”

Martin said he particularly appreciated Pendleton’s instinct to stay out of the political fray.

“He thought he’d be most effective working outside the city bureaucracy, and that makes a lot of sense,” Martin said. “If Mr. Pendleton is really interested in coming to Honolulu to assist us in the issue, I feel optimistic. I’m hoping he can maintain that level of enthusiasm.”