Housing First proving it’s worth its cost

Measurable progress. That’s what’s needed in battling homelessness in the islands, and it is being achieved through Housing First, a program that gets people into apartments first, then addresses their sobriety. It’s a program that is expected to save taxpayers money, get people off the streets and help formerly homeless tenants turn their lives around.

In a year’s time, the Institute for Human Services has housed 173 homeless clients in 115 permanent homes using the Housing First concept, according to a preliminary report by the University of Hawaii. The city awarded IHS a $2.1 million annual contract to launch the program, which now enters a second year.

The UH study found that of the 173 people, only one was evicted and replaced by another homeless person. One ended up in jail. One died. One went into public housing to live with family. One reunited with family on Hawaii island. Only one returned to the street.

That’s measurable progress.

But numbers alone don’t show the depth of the program. The study surveyed the formerly homeless tenants about how they felt physically and mentally after getting into homes. The clients reported having more days when they felt better, had more energy and were more active. They had hope for the future.

Take Dwight Green, 54, who spiraled into homelessness after a moped accident required three surgeries and he was replaced at work. After 15 years on the street, Green has been in a Waikiki studio apartment for five months through Housing First, is now in a 12-step program and feels optimistic about his future.

“I was on the edge. Then, boom. The universe came through for a brother,” Green said.

Clients under Housing First receive rent subsidies over a two-year period, and toward the end of the program, benefits taper off and they get assistance with a subsidy plan, said IHS spokesman Kimo Carvalho. It’s encouraging to know that clients are given a helping hand to keep them housed even after the two-year program ends.

Through Housing First, landlords are guaranteed rent, have someone to call 24/7 for problems, and are promised that any damage will be repaired. Ultimately it’s a win-win for landlords and clients. All in the community need to realize they have more power than they know to be part of the solution.

Landlords should attend a summit at Dole Cannery, 9 a.m. Tuesday, aimed at encouraging more landlords to rent to homeless people. A partnership forged between Gov. David Ige and the Hawaii Association of Realtors is working toward reducing the number of homeless people from the 7,620 counted Jan. 25 by getting them into market-priced rental units.

When the city cleared encampments in Kakaako over six weeks recently, shelter space was direly needed to accommodate those who were forced to move. Landlords should keep that in mind as they come to the table Tuesday, just as the government must come through by providing landlords a safety net.

There is no question that Oahu needs more affordable rentals and housing. Many of the homeless cleared from Kakaako simply moved to Kewalo Basin, Point Panic and Kakaako Waterfront Park — all on Hawaii Community Development Authority land. The state’s plan to clear the newly formed homeless encampments was supposed to have occurred Thursday, but after reaching out to eight private contractors, none bid for the job. Obviously, Ige and the state must gather a workforce soon, and cannot allow the encampments to become entrenched — again.

But, moving people off the street and into shelters is just a temporary fix. More-permanent housing is where the real change occurs. When homeless people are placed into rentals, there will likely be a marked reduction in arrests and hospitalizations, said Jack Barile, a UH assistant psychology professor who is leading the Housing First study.

Ultimately, finding a place to call home is what’s needed to set people back on track. Housing First is finding a way to do that. Just ask Dwight Green, and nearly 170 others who now have a real chance.