More homeless projects on tap in new year
DENNIS ODA / 2016
The city’s first attempt under Mayor Kirk Caldwell at Sand Island’s Hale Mauliola community has found success getting so-called “chronically homeless” people into long-term housing.
Hawaii will take new approaches to reducing homelessness in 2017 and Honolulu should see several new projects come online, including the state’s first all-in-one project that will provide showers, laundry machines, two floors of permanent housing, and social services for mental illness and substance abuse in Iwilei.
State officials say they plan to expand homeless projects and outreach to homeless people on the neighbor islands.
But there are already signs of problems as the state attempts to change the culture at island homeless shelters by giving clients more space while trying to move them faster into permanent housing.
Shelter operators representing eight of Hawaii’s homeless shelters told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser in November that new state Department of Human Services contracts would require eliminating a total of 662 beds when the new contracts begin in February.
In December, officials at Waipahu Lighthouse Outreach Center said they will have to eliminate another 100 beds when their shelter closes next month because it can’t comply with the new requirements.
At the same time, the city plans to expand the concept of a so-called “navigation center” at a four-story, industrial building in Iwilei that will include housing for the homeless with an emphasis on moving them out quickly into permanent housing.
The city’s first attempt under Mayor Kirk Caldwell at Sand Island’s Hale Mauliola community has found success getting so-called “chronically homeless” people into long-term housing.
Caldwell plans to expand the idea on a larger scale at 431 Kuwili St. in Iwilei, where the city last year spent $6.3 million to buy the building. It’s one of several homeless-related housing projects on Oahu that are expected to open in 2017.
The city’s only “hygiene center,” in Chinatown, includes one 8-by-12-foot room with one shower, toilet and sink, for women and an identical room for men.
10 responses to “More homeless projects on tap in new year”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
A complete waste of taxpayer dollars, brought to us by a guy who has dipped his beak as hard as he can. What about those who worked their arses off, and still can’t afford a home here Kirk? You going to have the taxpayers buy them one too? Democrats. All they know is tax and spend.
More homeless projects on tap can never keep up with a steadily growing supply of riffraff vagabonds called “homeless”. The more you give the more are coming and want.
Beware: “Build it and they will come”.
Hey Caldwell, the roads are falling apart more every day! Wipe off that grin.
Send the chronics one way to someplace else……perhaps Gitmo in Cuba?…….I hear the weather is beautiful.
Kirk’s got to live there for a year and see what he really thinks.
Seriously? …People living in cargo containers? But those are oven roasters by midday..or is the city providing A/C units too?
BTW: These containers are not suitable or safe for human habitation. Where are the building inspectors to inspect them and verify they meet building codes? First time one of these bums burns himself up lighting a crack pipe the city (and the taxpayers by extension) will be sued for millions.
What a snake in the grass
With the new regulations has anyone taken a look at Kaka’ako park recently. The homeless population has tripled or quadrupled from a month ago. They are not as obvious because they are on the ewa side of the park near the ocean.
Help me understand this? Hawaii cannot take care of our HOMELESS, yet regarding the Trump’s travel ban (which was supposedly temporary), HAWAII can ask and demonstrate for welcoming immigrants. Help me understand this