The September 11th attack
Layoffs, loss of welfare increasing ranks of the homeless
By Johnny Brannon
Advertiser Staff Writer
Fred Meise is the second of three household members to see his income slashed since Sept. 11, and the newly laid-off restaurant worker wonders how long he can hold out with no work.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
"My roommates are pretty cool about it for now, but I'll be living in Ala Moana Park if I don't find something eventually," he said. "It's kind of scary when you have a college degree and still can't find work."
Fred Meise worked for a restaurant in one of Waikiki's major hotels. He spent Monday afternoon at the unemployment office filing for benefits. Meise is just one of many hotel workers across the state recently laid off.
Stan Copple knows just how Meise feels. The house painter and restaurant worker has been living in the park for the past two weeks, since he lost his income and housing when the job market suddenly dried up.
The East Coast terrorist attacks that rocked Hawai'i's tourism-dependent economy have made it harder than ever to find work — and affordable shelter, he and other laid-off workers say. And those who provide services to the homeless say a combination of problems could make things much worse in the months to come.
Copple said a small but noticeable stream of newcomers had begun bedding down in the park since he arrived.
"It's ten times harder to find work now than it used to be, so how can you find a place to live?" he said.
Institute for Human Services director Lynn Maunakea, who manages a group of shelters for homeless people, said the state's economic slump could not have come at a worse time, and that she is bracing for a big influx of clients.
"It's going to be difficult for us to accommodate more people, because of welfare changes and increased unemployment," Maunakea said. "These are both problems that are going to feed off each other."
•
See the latest statistics at the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism's visitor and employment update.
About 800 Hawai'i families are slated to lose federal welfare benefits on Dec. 1, when new five-year limits take effect, and hundreds more are expected to be dropped from the rolls every month that follows.
"It's the worst of all times for this to happen," she said of the state's skyrocketing unemployment rate. More than 4,400 people applied for unemployment benefits last week, compared to 1,400 in the week before the attacks, according to the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.
Maunakea said people who lose their income and housing often move in with friends or relatives, at least initially.
"But if that's prolonged, it can get old real quick," she said, and the state could see a big spike in homelessness within months if the economy doesn't pick up steam soon.
"It might be by New Year's, or maybe even by Christmas," Maunakea said. "It's not going to be a very happy Christmas for a lot of people."
The Institute for Human Services can accommodate 27 homeless families, 80 single women and 200 single men at its facilities. The number of families on the agency's waiting list had increased to 30 prior to the spike in unemployment, and that forced the shelter to limit the length of stay for families to three months, Maunakea said.
"There's nothing worse than having to turn away a family with children," she said. "We're in the business of helping people, so saying 'no' is very hard, but we have to be concerned about safety and our capacity. There's only so much I can do."
The time limit may have to be adjusted further if the waiting list grows too long, she added.
Jo Ann Revera, a tour coordinator who was laid off last week, said she lives alone and had set aside a little cushion of money to pay for housing and other needs in case of hard times.
"I'm hoping Americans will get back to what they normally do, and I'll just pick up the pieces," she said. "I haven't spent foolishly, so I'll be all right for now. But I expect people are going to be a lot more conservative with their spending these days, because no one can determine how long this will last."
Reach Johnny Brannon at jbrannon@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2431.
