What can we do to help the homeless?

[1stwahine]

Re: What can we do to help the homeless?

I'm truly happy that she and her daughter has found someone to help them. However, I went again to re-read the article. Somehow, it doesn't fit right.

"Wong and her daughter, whose monthly welfare subsidies total $575 a month, are more than $5,000 -- or about two years -- behind in their $315 monthly rent. With little money and no place to go, they face almost certain homelessness tonight."

If her income is $575.00 per month - there's no way her rent is $315.00 per month. With the allowances and deductions of being disabled, utilities, etc. it would be be much less. As a Welfare Recipient she has Food Stamps and Medical Benefits too. What did she do with her money?

Yes, the waiting list to get into Housing at HCDCH is long. At the same time -empty units wait for long periods of time to be repaired due to lack of staff. Tenants already living in Projects get evicted for other violations on a daily basis. We have rules and regulations that must be followed. Finally, HCDCH is stepping up and weeding out the bad seeds to make our communites safer to live and prosper.

Non-payment of rent is not new. I have often times been late. It is a workable solution when addressed asap.

Auntie Lynn

[smeed]

Re: What can we do to help the homeless?

As an occasional visitor to the islands, I've never noticed any homeless in the areas I went. I've never stayed in Honolulu except for passing through the airport.

I'm wondering how visible the homeless are in Honolulu now? In San Francisco, homeless are pretty much all over the business core. You don't have to go far to see some pretty sad sights, shopping cart people, folks sleeping in doorways and the like.

What's it like in Honolulu? My picture is that the obvious homeless tend to be less noticeable there than in other major cities.

As for solutions, shelter systems don't work generally beyond just getting people out of the rain for a night, and the government solutions are too slow and bureaucratic for people stuck in the initial phases of homelessness.

Tent cities work if they are based on rules of behavior that are enforced by the dwellers (no drugs, no alcohol, no disturbances). It's the only way to give people both community and a sense of structure that allows them to rebuild their lives. Without that, it's really hard to get out of homelessness once you are there.

With some stability, you can then start putting the elements of a life back together again. If you can't even lay your head down to sleep without being in fear of getting hassled, you're going to have a really hard time changing your life. My two cents worth.

[1stwahine]

Re: What can we do to help the homeless?

This past Saturday, I went for something else which brought me to the Kaukau Distribution on Bethel and Hotel Streets. I stayed and helped out. My job was to give out the juices. I placed each one into the hands of each person. I also greeted them with a cheerful "Aloha!" Antonio walking happily around.

As I touched their hands and looked into their faces, I noticed that there were more elderly, more women and and yes...more people than usual. The Homeless Population is growing.

More sandwiches are being made each week per AlohaCandy. Sharon Black who runs Kaukau Wagon is an Angel in Disguise. More volunteers are needed as well as donations in clothes and other items which the Homeless can use. You can drop the items off on Saturdays from 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Walking in Downtown Honolulu one can easily see many Homeless. Ft Street Mall, Hotel Street, Parks, etc. At sunset many set up their cardboards in closed storefronts to sleep for the night. The unlucky ones must sleep wherever they can. Ala Moana Beach Park is also another favorite place of refuge. However, steps are being taken to deter them as they did from other Public areas. Where are they to go?

All over the islands - there are Homeless People.

Hawai'i Homeless exists.

Auntie Lynn

[damontucker]

Re: What can we do to help the homeless?

This past Saturday, I went for something else which brought me to the Kaukau Distribution on Bethel and Hotel Streets. I stayed and helped out. My job was to give out the juices. I placed each one into the hands of each person. I also greeted them with a cheerful "Aloha!" Antonio walking happily around.

As I touched their hands and looked into their faces, I noticed that there were more elderly, more women and and yes...more people than usual. The Homeless Population is growing.

More sandwiches are being made each week per AlohaCandy. Sharon Black who runs Kaukau Wagon is an Angel in Disguise. More volunteers are needed as well as donations in clothes and other items which the Homeless can use. You can drop the items off on Saturdays from 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Walking in Downtown Honolulu one can easily see many Homeless. Ft Street Mall, Hotel Street, Parks, etc. At sunset many set up their cardboards in closed storefronts to sleep for the night. The unlucky ones must sleep wherever they can. Ala Moana Beach Park is also another favorite place of refuge. However, steps are being taken to deter them as they did from other Public areas. Where are they to go?

All over the islands - there are Homeless People.

Hawai'i Homeless exists.

Auntie Lynn

Drove by Ala Moana Park this morning on the way to work....

I couldn't see one Tree that didn't have a Homeless Tent or person sleeping underneath them.

In just 3 years it seems...the homeless population there has gone up 300%.

I think they are hanging around Ala Moana so that they can use Ala Moana Malls Restroom facilities... they can use the Parks Showers.... and they can fish for food right off the Ala Wai Harbor...(if they dare eat the fish)

[smeed]

Re: What can we do to help the homeless?

Drove by Ala Moana Park this morning on the way to work....


In just 3 years it seems...the homeless population there has gone up 300%.

What about the IHS? Is that not an option for homeless people needing shelter?

In my neck of the woods, the homeless are pretty obvious...backpacks, carrying sleeping bags, or just looking really down and out. Is that the case in Honolulu as well. Are the homeless pretty visible on the streets, or just when they try to camp or sleep out?

[1stwahine]

Re: What can we do to help the homeless?

The IHS that we have here is over crowded. The womens shelter is a sad story in itself. If your not there in time, you stand the chance of not having a bed at all. Many women sleep outside or on the streets near the shelter. There have been cases of Rape nearby. Pass by the Bus Stops at night and more than likely there will be women sleeping on the benches.

Families have to be separated. Men in one shelter and women and childern in another. I think there are other shelters that permit families to stay together. However, it's in the country and I don't know their rules and regulations.

It's a fight everyday for the fittest. Either you survive the streets or you succumb to it. Live by the rules or die by the rules. That's Reality. That's the unspoken TRUTH.

Auntie Lynn

[tutusue]

Re: What can we do to help the homeless?

Drove by Ala Moana Park this morning on the way to work....

I couldn't see one Tree that didn't have a Homeless Tent or person sleeping underneath them.

In just 3 years it seems...the homeless population there has gone up 300%.

I think they are hanging around Ala Moana so that they can use Ala Moana Malls Restroom facilities... they can use the Parks Showers.... and they can fish for food right off the Ala Wai Harbor...(if they dare eat the fish)

As discussed previously, the homeless population increase on the beaches along the Waianae Coast is astounding...almost all of them since last October. The majority of these people, I believe, are displaced renters forced out of their homes by skyrocketing rents. An acquaintance of mine lives in a condo on Maili Beach. She told me that travelers along Farrington Hwy. see only about half of the homeless population as the other half are hidden by buildings.

Makua Beach, almost at the end of the road in Makaha, used to be the homeless beach and is hidden from the the road. Now it's the entire coast. The police used to do sweeps at Makua. I sincerely hope there will be no more sweeps. There's no place for these people to go.

[smeed]

Re: What can we do to help the homeless?

It's a fight everyday for the fittest. Either you survive the streets or you succumb to it. Live by the rules or die by the rules. That's Reality. That's the unspoken TRUTH.

Auntie Lynn

What are the rules? Sounds like homeless in Hawaii is no better than anywhere else in the US except maybe the weather is more temperate. Perhaps it's worse? Any comments?

One thing is for sure, there's no extensive tent camping by homeless anywhere else in the US that I know of except perhaps Seattle. People certainly do sleep rough, build sheds and shelters in out of the way places, but you don't find lots of tents and camping. The authorities don't allow it and take their tents or bulldoze the area.

[1stwahine]

Re: What can we do to help the homeless?

As discussed previously, the homeless population increase on the beaches along the Waianae Coast is astounding...almost all of them since last October. The majority of these people, I believe, are displaced renters forced out of their homes by skyrocketing rents. An acquaintance of mine lives in a condo on Maili Beach. She told me that travelers along Farrington Hwy. see only about half of the homeless population as the other half are hidden by buildings.

Makua Beach, almost at the end of the road in Makaha, used to be the homeless beach and is hidden from the the road. Now it's the entire coast. The police used to do sweeps at Makua. I sincerely hope there will be no more sweeps. There's no place for these people to go.

Tutusue, As I read your post - I got chicken skin. I still do. If all our citizens were kind hearted as you, maybe - just maybe we could start solving our Homeless Problem.

The FACT is our own Government is the very ones who is driving them into a endless maze. They have no where to go is right. Many are employed, can't afford the high rents, high cost of living, medical and whatever else we pay. To be Homeless for some is a choice. For others...you gotta do what you gotta do.

Auntie Lynn

[tutusue]

Re: What can we do to help the homeless?

[...]The FACT is our own Government is the very ones who is driving them into a endless maze. They have no where to go is right. Many are employed, can't afford the high rents, high cost of living, medical and whatever else we pay. To be Homeless for some is a choice. For others...you gotta do what you gotta do.

Auntie Lynn

Along with the plethora of tents there is a plethora of cars parked along side the highway or in the parking lots of the various beach parks. This, afaic, is the new breed of homeless. As you say, Auntie, many are employed. They fall between the governmental cracks because they have jobs, families, cars...just not enough for a roof over their heads and too much to qualify for assistance. Even if they do qualify for assistance there's a horrendous wait for section 8 housing. Hopefully those who are still working and put in over 20 hours a week continue to receive medical insurance from their places of employment. Hopefully those who are still working are able to start and build on a savings account funded by their former rent payments so that if something they can afford comes along they'll at least have the first month's rent and security deposit. Then there's that Catch-22 of money in the bank disqualifying these people from many programs.

Where does it end? How do these people merge back into being householders? What does a set-back such as homelessness for people with jobs do to their psyches and the psyches of their family members...esp. the kids? I can't even allow myself to think of the trickle down effect of this situation as it's just too heartbreaking.

And then there's the new mainland transplant lady in my neck of the woods who wants bouganvillia planted along Farrington Hwy. so her vision isn't assaulted by all the "riff raff".

[1stwahine]

Re: What can we do to help the homeless?

Unfortunately, Tutusue...without a solid foundation in Spiritial Beliefs, Morals, Values, many will not make it no matter what. Homelessness itself has rip families apart. Add the dangers of Drug Abuse and Alcoholism which is so common amongst them as a crutch to cope their misery.

It may seem dim and without hope. I'd like to believe it can be fix. Small task forces of people needs to be sent into the various areas and tackle the problems first hand. Intermingle with the Homeless, address their concerns, problems, needs, and come up with solutions. It can't be solved over night. It can be started and with time it can be solved.

Wow! I sound like I running foa office? heheheheh

...just my 2cents foa today!

Auntie Lynn

[timkona]

Re: What can we do to help the homeless?

The root cause of homelessness is the Politics of NO.

Until attitudes change about basic social science and urban planning, homelessness in Hawaii will continue to escalate.

[1stwahine]

Re: What can we do to help the homeless?

The root cause of homelessness is the Politics of NO.

Until attitudes change about basic social science and urban planning, homelessness in Hawaii will continue to escalate.

Yes, timkona. Every citizen needs to change and take an active role in solving our Homeless Problem. Unfortunately, it will not happen. That is the facts of LIFE. However, the mere fact that there are those out there who will continue in the fight in solving many of the issues in which the Homeless face is a reason to be thankful!

Whatever can be done to deter anything is a VICTORY!

Auntie Lynn

(go back on da odda thread!)

[smeed]

Re: What can we do to help the homeless?

It's a fight everyday for the fittest. Either you survive the streets or you succumb to it. Live by the rules or die by the rules.

Auntie Lynn

I guess this article gives some brief reality on homelessness in Honolulu, at least in the sense of how dangerous it is:
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/ar...n.com+%2F+News

[1stwahine]

Re: What can we do to help the homeless?

I guess this article gives some brief reality on homelessness in Honolulu, at least in the sense of how dangerous it is:
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/ar...n.com+%2F+News

Smeed, your article does give a "brief" reality of the homelessness in Honolulu. Having grown up in the area, owning family bussinesses and becoming homeless myself - I have seen up close the horrors and the dangers first hand.

Articles can bring only so much. When you have a person that lived it and one who can report from within the boundries of secrets - then you will know the full extent of the realty of TRUTH!

Auntie Lynn