HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

73

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2002

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

URGing existing task forces to continue TO address the continual need and unmet demand for transitional housing AND SOCIAL WELFARE facilities on Oahu and to invite other interested organizations and individuals to participate.

 

 

WHEREAS, despite building a record number of affordable rentals units and implementing a program that reduced homelessness in Hawaii by 40 percent and providing millions of dollars in funding for emergency shelters, outreach programs, and homeless services, more work remains to be done; and

WHEREAS, barely three weeks after the State's new Onemalu homeless shelter at Kalaeloa opened, it was nearly two-thirds full, an indication of the continual need for transitional housing facilities, particularly in Leeward Oahu where the State operates two other shelters, both of which are always full; and

WHEREAS, persistent demands to enact laws prohibiting camping and sleeping in public areas, when communities clearly know they do not have enough shelter beds to meet demand, is a reflection of conflicting federal, state, and county policies and programs to alleviate the root causes of homelessness; and

WHEREAS, the unmet demand for transitional housing, the cutting of about 1,200 families from the welfare rolls in December 2001, and the abrupt downturn in the State's economy will have a huge impact on those individuals who are most vulnerable to harm: the mentally ill, women, and children; and

WHEREAS, to alleviate the root causes of homelessness, government needs clear and consistent objectives and policies to respect the civil rights of homeless people and protect the most vulnerable segments of our homeless population from harm; and

WHEREAS, our values, mores, and attitudes toward homelessness and homeless people are often shaped by ignorance and prejudice, are sometimes shaped by concerns for plummeting property values and public safety, and are rarely shaped by compassion and empathy for those less fortunate; and

WHEREAS, rather than providing an open invitation to engage in "finger-pointing", the study by the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty represents an unprecedented opportunity for communities to reconsider their values, mor, and attitudes toward homelessness and homeless people; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2002, that existing task forces addressing the needs and demands for transitional housing and social welfare facilities on Oahu are urged to invite interested parties, including community and neighborhood boards, to join in the task force; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor and the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu.

Report Title:

Homelessness Taskforce