Gov. Linda Lingle deserves credit for taking solid steps on the homeless situation in Wai'anae. By declaring an emergency situation on homelessness on the Leeward coast, the governor has cut red tape and made it easier to create safe temporary shelters.

There's a much clearer path now toward an acceptable short-term resolution to the homeless problem in Wai'anae.

The appointment of Kaulana Park, an executive assistant to the director of the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, also seems to be a good choice. DHHL works closely with people on the Leeward side, and Park, as a former employee, assures there's a sensitivity to the idea that the homeless problem cannot be solved by a "one-size-fits-all" solution.

These steps, while worthwhile, are far from a full answer to the needs of our homeless.

Longer-term, the state's real challenge remains addressing the root causes of homelessness in a comprehensive way. That means helping tenants gain permanent housing with rent and deposit subsidies. But it also means assuring there are enough rentals to meet demand. The state can help here by providing land and incentives to help developers construct more affordable units.

The Legislature's passage of an omnibus housing package this year should help. Beginning this month, the rental housing trust fund receives a 50 percent chunk of the conveyance tax, resulting in a windfall this year of $25 million for the sole purpose of building affordable rentals. That's $10 million more than normally available, which means 2006 must be a banner year for the aggressive development of our rental housing stock.

Long-term, there should be no need for emergency orders or short-term solutions. It is quite clear that homelessness is part of a larger problem that ranges from the lack of homes that average families can afford to buy through a shortage of rentals for people of modest means.

Solve those problems and the homelessness issue will largely take care of itself.