Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 14, Number 3, 1 March 1999 — Houseless in their homeland [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Houseless in their homeland

By Katrina Souza, PIO intern NATTVE HAWAIIAN homelessness is about more than just numbers for Leona Kalima, OHA's only housing counselor. For Kalima, homelessness has many faces: a mother with cancer living in a car with her children; the hidden homeless who live in overcrowded conditions; the elderly shuffled from one home to another or living on the streets and in parks; and the at-risk- families one pavcheck from eviction or foreclosure. OHA's Housing Division, led by Housing Officer Stephen Morse. works to ensure that all Native Hawaiians have access to affordable and decent housing. The division works cooperatively to build or rebuild healthy. self-sufficient Native Hawaiian communities and to develop pilot projects to aid in Hawai'i's housing problems. However, the division faces an uphill battle because Native Hawaiians currently lead the state as the largest homeless ethnic group, at 37.5 percent. Every month. the housing division receives 25 to 30 phone calls from people who are either at-risk or need immediate placement. If callers have any ineome. Kalima refers them to a homeless village or transitional shelter. "If they go there." Kalima explained.

"they're going to get assessed. Their needs could range from medical, educational or employment status that caused their housing situation, or laek thereof." If some Hawaiians choose to stay on the beach or on the street, then Kalima tries to connect them with Ke Ola Mamo, a Native Hawaiian medical outreach program, or other community programs that

offer specific areas of assistance to the homeless population. Morse plans to go to OHA's Board of Trustees in April with a proposal for a Homeless Intervention Prevention Project. "Essentially, it's an incentive. train-ing-type of project working with the homeless and those at-risk," Morse said. "We will help in emergency requests. however. we are going to require in some ways (those who receive assistance) par-

ticipate in a volunteer community service. or take part in credit counseling type stuff." Morse said the project

would also entail OHA's award of block grants to a community social service provider for financial assistance and case management services to families identified as having severe housing problems. "Homelessness is a tough problem to resolve if you're only looking at it in terms of trying to provide a shelter," Morse said. "It is really mukiple problems. At the heart of it is poverty. affordable housing and adequate rental supplement. We have provided short-term services that ean benefit the home less, but we are still far away from really adequately addressing the longterm solutions, whieh is our economy and helping Hawaiians get adequate employment to maintain their housing." If you need help, or know someone who does, there are a number of agen

cies that ean assist you. For more information. eall Leona Kalima at 594-1902. ■

"Homelessness is a tough problem to resolve if you're only looking at it in terms of trying to provide a shelter." Steve Morse, OHA housing officer

PHOIO JAYSON HARPER A eommon scene in downtown Honolulu Hawai'i's homeless use shopping carts and other discarded materials as shelter.