The pettiness has to end. The public deserves better than the “What’s in it for me?” arguments, finger-pointing and lack of forward progress in the ongoing homeless/housing battle between the City Council and the mayor’s office.
The latest salvo came on Wednesday, when the Council’s Budget Committee axed Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s plan to create a housing development division and put into question the future of the Hale Mauliola homeless center at Sand Island, among other programs.
The items were removed — without reasonable explanation — from the latest draft of the
$2.3 billion operating budget that moved out of committee.
A healthy dose of push and pull is expected between the legislative and executive branches of city government. But the growing dysfunction is holding the city back from solving critical issues.
The crux of the issue Wednesday was Caldwell’s push for eight positions costing $477, 690 in the planned Asset Management and Development Division, which the administration argued is crucial for the city to execute plans to reduce homelessness and boost affordable housing.
At the other end of the spectrum are Council member’s initiatives — 13 resolutions and bills offering direction for various housing and homeless ideas — that Councilman Joey Manahan contends have not received proper consideration from the Caldwell administration.
“There’s no sense in me supporting this new division if it’s actually not going to do anything for me,” Manahan said.
That kind of talk — and stance — reflects poorly on the Council as a whole and accomplishes little.
Perhaps the Caldwell administration could, as Manahan suggested, look into developing hygiene centers within his Kalihi district — or give careful consideration to some of the other Council members’ measures. By the same token, Council members need to step back and examine the administration’s broader vision to create affordable rental units.
All or nothing are not the only options. If the Council is uncomfortable funding eight positions for the new division, fund a lower number and press existing staffers into service on the public’s behalf, such as Peter Boylan, whom Council Chairman Ernie Martin hired in 2015 for $84,000 as the Council’s housing coordinator.
Also, Caldwell should be looking to reorganize and move existing expertise from across city government into the new division.
Developing more affordable rentals is a high priority in a state with the highest per capita homeless population, which at last count topped 7,000. Increasing rental stock in an integral part of a multi-pronged effort to reduce homelessness, which affects each district in varying degrees.
Ironically, it was the City Council that allocated $64 million for affordable and homeless housing initiatives over the past two years. The administration says a necessary step is to hire experts to push forward those initiatives.
Only a portion of the $64 million has been expended on projects that include the development of the Hale Mauliola transitional housing facility at Sand Island and the $5.5 million purchase of a property on Hassinger Street in Makiki to be used for Housing First and low-income units.
It’s unclear what the Council would accomplish by cutting off funding to Hale Mauliola. The center is already functional — although it’s gotten off to a slower start than anticipated. Manahan called the project a failure, noting there continues to be a large homeless presence in his district.
The answer, however, is not to close shop. About 25 people served there have been put into permanent housing — not Earth-shattering, but measurable progress. And, ramp-up is underway at Hale Mauliola, which is soon expected to house 80 to 90 people at a time.
Much more could be done, and quicker, if the Council and administration moved past the politics and grandstanding. Coordination, not inane roadblocks, would get the city closer to reducing homelessness and creating more affordable rentals — for the sake of all of Oahu’s communities.
