When it comes to reducing the state’s persistent homeless population, there are no cookie-cutter or one-size-fits-all solutions.
So it is disheartening that drastic cuts in federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding — $1.3 million locally — are being made to transitional housing programs for the state’s most vulnerable homeless populations in a major shift toward the increasingly favored Housing First program.
Under Housing First, the emphasis is on placing homeless people into fair-market rental units first, then dealing with problems such as mental illness and alcohol and drug abuse.
But for many of the 282 homeless teenagers and homeless adults with HIV/AIDS and mental illness whose futures are now uncertain following the cuts, it’s questionable whether Housing First would serve them well — especially those who are in dire need of specialized care.
Punky Pletan-Cross, executive director of Hale Kipa, which lost $128,101 in HUD funding April 30, aptly described the funding cuts:
“ … it really feels to me the message is there’s a one-size model and we’re going to prioritize that over all other considerations. That’s narrow-minded.”
And here’s the $1.3-million question: Why does it have to be one or the other — transitional versus permanent housing?
Permanent housing is optimal, but only if there is available affordable-rental stock and there are ample support systems in place. Unfortunately, the lack of affordable units in Hawaii contributes to the state’s deplorable situation of having the nation’s highest per-capita rate of homelessness.
In all, eight homeless nonprofits on Oahu are affected by the abrupt HUD cuts. Hardest hit is the Gregory House, which will lose $335,489 in HUD funding Sept. 1. Gregory House currently serves 20 formerly homeless clients with HIV/AIDS, who typically are recovering from drug and alcohol addictions and often have mental health problems.
Gregory House Executive Director Jonathon Berliner said the organization is “doing what we can to not just dump our clients out on the street.” Berliner, as well as other program directors, have vowed to aggressively go after alternative funding.
In Waianae, officials with Ho‘omau ke Ola, which serves recovering addicts through both Western treatment and ancient
Hawaiian cultural practices, lost $172,000 in annual funding as of April 30. So it’s being forced to cut costs and hustle for new funding sources — even hosting a car wash recently that generated $700.
The just-ended Legislature showed the annual competition for funds for a vast array of programs — but also revealed monies being funneled to questionable pet projects. And if city leaders can propose spending $500,000 to help develop a Korean cultural center, or a like amount to plan a Honolulu Zoo parking garage, a reconsideration of priorities might be in order. Surely, emergency funding for programs that have successfully saved people from the brink of homelessness should be made a priority.
We encourage Gov. David Ige’s administration, which received $12 million this past legislative session to fund homeless programs, to give thoughtful consideration to these transitional programs, if only on a short-term basis so that more permanent funding can be sought. And perhaps the Aloha United Way, which received $5 million in state funds in February to support homeless programs, can find a way to share its resources.
It’s unfortunate that at this juncture, HUD is pulling the financial plug on transitional programs that are actually helping Hawaii’s most vulnerable out of a more-dire homeless situation.
