The recent Advertiser headline, "Micronesians fill shelters," served to confirm what I have been witnessing for the past several years. Having conducted several legal clinics at shelters such as Next Step, Loliana, Vancouver House, Maililand and the Institute for Human Services as a pro-bono attorney and instructor with Volunteer Legal Services Hawai'i, I have witnessed the rapidly rising numbers of homeless Micronesian families.

The root of the problem goes beyond Micronesians and the lack of affordable housing. While there is no doubt that affordable housing is big part of the homeless problem, the problem lies in a lack of a coordinated plan to address poverty among all the poor in Hawai'i.

I recall an article back in January 2005, "Homeless problem is solvable, state says" by Gordon Pang, that announced: "A 10-year plan by the state to end chronic homelessness represents an unprecedented commitment by different levels of government and the private sector." However, just last month we saw another front-page article informing us that "Homeless population on O'ahu rises 28.2%."

While I do not believe that the focus on a particular ethnic group is meant to cast blame for the lack of progress in the state's plan to end homelessness, we have seen that it is common to blame others for our failures. With that in mind, perhaps we should examine some of the factors behind the movement of Micronesians to Hawai'i and the United States in general under the Compact of Free Association.

The Compact of Free Association is a treaty in which the relationship of three sovereign states: the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and the Republic of Palau have been defined as associated states with the United States. The original compact came into effect in 1986 for FSM and RMI and in 1994 for the Republic of Palau.

Under the free-association compacts, the United States provides guaranteed financial assistance, and in exchange receives certain defense rights. The U.S. also treats these nations uniquely by giving them access to many, but not all, U.S. domestic aid/welfare programs. The freely associated states are all dependent on U.S. financial assistance to meet both government operational and capital needs.

These compacts were created after World War II when the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau became part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands under the administration of the United States. These islands were designated as strategic areas, and the U.S. was allowed to set up military bases as deemed necessary.

During the time that the U.S. administered the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, two islands from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Bikini and Eniwetok, were designated as nuclear testing areas. People from these islands were forced to evacuate. And during this time, at least 66 nuclear tests were conducted. Once the nuclear tests stopped in 1958 and cleanup started, people were able to resettle the island by the late 1960s. Unfortunately, those residing in Bikini were forced to evacuate in the late 1970s because severe contamination was found.

As the July 8 article pointed out, many homeless Micronesians came to Hawai'i for medical treatment they could not receive back home or are visiting family members who need medical treatment.

Under the compacts, Micronesians enjoy a unique status and can freely enter the U.S. without special immigration clearance. They can also stay in the U.S. as long as they like without having to become U.S. citizens or resident aliens. Micronesians, unlike other non-resident aliens, can also legally obtain any type of employment without INS approval, and are immediately eligible to get a Social Security number instead of an individual temporary identification number.

Because of flaws in the language of the compacts, Micronesians are not eligible to receive Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) benefits as they are not citizens or residents of the U.S. Legal Aid assistance is another benefit that Micronesians are denied as the rules that govern the Legal Aid Society of Hawai'i prohibit them from assisting non-U.S. citizens. Denying these types of benefits to those who could use them to improve their situations is just another kind of injustice.

We can only hope that a discussion will occur with the Micronesian community, and that a coordinated plan to assist those from Micronesia will become a reality. Not just to relieve our guilt, but because all seeking a better life deserve it and because it would be a major step in solving the problems of homelessness and poverty.

Wayne M. Tanna is a professor at Chaminade University. He wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.