Posted on: Sunday, March 16, 2003

EDITORIAL
Support the local war on homelessness

O'ahu's homeless population has mushroomed to the point that it's staring us in the face. Just ask the folks in Wai'anae.

Worse still, looming budget cuts threaten to gut numerous social services programs, which can only exacerbate homelessness.

Mayor Jeremy Harris has taken a step in the right direction with his plans for a $6 million center where homeless people can hook up with an array of service providers.

We have long advocated for such a one-stop center where homeless people can seek sanctuary from the streets, get cleaned up and find the right help. And so we urge the City Council to approve an appropriation for this project in the 2004 budget.

But it's going to take more than one project, albeit a major one, to solve the problem of homelessness. We'd be interested in more details about the mayor's plan.

The chronically homeless oftentimes have severe mental health problems and addictions. Helping this group, which soaks up the lion's share of resources, will make a huge dent in the problem. Then there are those who are down on their luck, and just need a leg up to get a job and affordable housing.

If they're not helped promptly, they, too, can develop depression and other ailments as well as drug and alcohol dependencies.

And make no mistake. This is as much about smart economics as it is about compassion, because the chronically homeless are a huge financial burden on social welfare services.

Meanwhile, we must provide more affordable housing on O'ahu, particularly for families with children and the elderly. Thankfully, the Housing and Community Development Corporation of Hawai'i is striving to get a better handle of the needs of the elderly, who are so often forgotten because they don't make waves.

It would behoove numerous state, county and charitable agencies to convene a summit and strategize how to win the war against homelessness. If the problem is not on your doorstep right now, it'll get there soon enough.

Just ask the folks in Wai'anae.