Kakaako shelter gets reprieve

RICHARD WALKER / [e-mail] Edgar Auld has been living with his wife and six children at the Next Step shelter in Kakaako for seven months.

[Efrem Williams]

What a shame!
No one in America or in a American city/state that has elected public officials, should ever have to live in a shelter. The tax dollars should take care of them until they can get on their feet. With all the graft, corruption, "good ole boy" politics that have plagued Hawaii for way too many years, it's about time that all the money that has been misappropiated, stolen, palmed into special interest groups, gets allocated to the less fortunate.
The State of Hawaii, Govenor, Mayor, Senators, etc better wake up and take the necessary action, do the right thing always. Because if not, they and we will all find ourselves living in a "lawless" states, and Anarchy will rule the island streets and city.

[Corrected Statement]

I agree with you 99%.
The one item you were inaccurate on is referring to the Governor that she needs to wake up or take action. The only reason that the shelter even exists is because the Governor did something that no democrat in the states 50 year history even dared to do (you know.. help the people). Now instead of only one shelters, we have at least 7 new ones that are open as a direct result of her doing something and making the legislators look bad.

That, by the way, is specifically why the legislators just passed a law that limits her use of emergency powers. They hate the fact that she did something productive, in a time sensitive manner (created the shelter in 6 days) helped people, the poorest of the poor, and made the bureaucratic legislators look bad in the process.

Funny how the democraps always promote themselves as the party of the people. HA !
By the way. I happen to know for a fact that the GOP goes to the Next Step shelter and serves dinner on a regular basis, brings their families to help out too... NEVER a camera or news crew around. From what i am told, the shelter has never seen any of the democrat crew there to help out.

[Incompetent repubs]

It looks like the supposed temporary next step got tripped up. It really should be closed much sooner: placing a housing facility in a Tsunami evacuation zone does not pass the smell test.

An allowing these folks to jump the line ahead of those patiently awaiting public housing for years does not make sense, either.

[Hidenori]

At what point does temporary turn into permanent? How long have these folks been living in the shelter and what are they doing to get themselves out? State help is fine but self help is better.

[Corrected Statement]

Do you always just talk, to talk ?

"tripped up" yes. People like you tripped it up.

Never mind that the shelter has housed over 1,000 people since it opened. You just don't like its location ? guess what... NEITHER DO THEY ! That "Smell test" that you are referring to is the sewage processing plant 300 yards in front of the shelter on Ala Moana Blvd. As far as Tsunami's They do evacuation drills regularly to stay prepared.

They tried to open a shelter in other areas but people like you showed up and said "NOT IN MY BACK YARD ! we can't have "those people" coming into our neighborhood !!!" forget the fact that 35% of "those people" are children in the shelter. And you also said "if it is a republican project then WE CAN NOT SUPPORT IT" hence the name you used... "repub hater"

As far as "allowing" "these folks" to "jump the line"... Most of the people they were considering to move into the housing complex are the same ones that are already "patiently waiting" on the waiting list. But your prejudice does not allow you to think rationally to understand that "homeless" people are on a waiting list to get "housing."

well... DUH ! Shelter residents are on housing waiting lists.... some of them for YEARS.

just go talk more about something you have no understanding of... and you call the republicans incompetent. Pot calling the kettle black. Go talk talk about talking so you can talk about what you talked about.

[Corrected Statement]

Hidenori wrote:

At what point does temporary turn into permanent? How long have these folks been living in the shelter and what are they doing to get themselves out? State help is fine but self help is better.

The shelter has housed over 1,000 people. there are currently only about 200 residents. its only been open 2 years.(do the math) For all intense purposes, there are 2 types of homeless. newly homeless, and those homeless for more than 3 years. The newly homeless have a historically faster success rates of getting housing as they have most of the things in place already necessary. typically their problem is some unexpected circumstance that popped up that forced them onto the streets. Fire burnt the house down, a divorce, a lost job, land lord doubles the rent, someone dies that was paying the bills... there are a number of reasons they end up homeless, most are centered around a sudden financial emergency. Typically they recover financially in about 6 months to a year. Some of the best cases are in the shelter less than a month or two.

The 2nd group is harder to get results with as there are bigger problems they have to overcome. Some are people that have lived in the state for 30 years, but lost all of their identification documents (birth certificate, passports, social security card, photo id, etc...) the process of getting ALL of your documents all over again can be extremely time consuming and drawn out depending on where you were born. For instance, California has a 20 week (5 months) waiting period to get a birth certificate from them. That is for the "normal" request. Special circumstances (like people that changed their names) could take longer to get JUST their birth certificate. Some countries do not have such a thing as "vital documents" and instead go through a even more lengthily process of court hearings to verify who you are. One such resident took 2 years just to get his documents. Now he has a job and got his own place.

In any case, the shelter has had an extreme success rate. And you are correct, " State help is fine but self help is better" The complication comes when you have done everything you can think of and nothing has worked, or you have just plain run out of money to continue on.... no money... no options.

And now I am waiting for the prejudice Monday morning quarterback tards to respond with "tell them to go get a job" please READ the paragraph above. NO ID... NO JOB. It is illegal to hire someone unless you can prove who they are with state authorized ID.

The BEST way to help them is to CONTACT A SHELTER AND GET INVOLVED. Volunteer to help with something. There are MANY, MANY ways to help.

[Kama]

You sounded pretty smart at first. Now you sound more like dumb A**.
Get a grip and lighten up to other ideas.

[JMiguel]

Why can't these people stay as long as they want? Most of these people never finished high school... it is very difficult for them to find a job. Many are functionally illiterate...or in bad health. Why doesn't OHA or Kamehameha Schools help them? Many Hawaiian families have lived below the poverty line for 8 generations.
JMiguel

[JMiguel]

Nobody in Hawai'i cares...they just want to go shopping at Nordstrom's.
JMiguel

[HAWAIIAN BUT NONHAWAIIAN]

WHY DOES OHA PLANS TO BUILD THEIR OFFICE AT THAT LOCATION? I UNDERSTOOD THAT THE LANDS AROUND THE WATERFRONT ARE RESERVED FOR MARITIME PURPOSES ONLY? PERHAPS THEY HAVE MISSPLACED THEIR VALUES OR THEY ARE SHOWING THEIR TRUE REAL VALUES. THAT LAND CAN GENERATE INCOME TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE OF HAWAII, THE SAME PEOPLE YOU CLAIM TO REPRESENT AND CARE ABOUT.

[Thomas]

It is good that something is being done rather than allow families to either live on the beaches or the streets ! Honolulu and the rest of Hawaii need affortable housing ! Why doesn't Donald Trump with all of his billions build affortable apartments in Honolulu , he can build condos and hotels there for the very rich as he is doing now in Waikiki he should atleast do something good for the working class and poor of Hawaii ! Donald Trump is one of the reasons why mainlanders have gotten such a bad name in Hawaii , they only think about money and how much they can make ! Just take ! And don't give back !

[Corrected Statement]

Badest Okole of ALL wrote:

<quoted text>
You're just another arrogant liberal feeling sorry for the homeless - why don't you invite Edgar and his family to your place??? You'd be helping Hawaii and getting another family off welfare!

1) I am not a liberal. I am a very conservative republican. Any REAL republican understand the economics behind the problem and that doing nothing but just standing there yelling at "those people" does not solve any problem. that is why it is necessary to get involved. A REAL republican understands that working with the homeless is like investing into a company. If you want a good end product, you better invest into its development properly and not cut corners. Getting hands on involved and teaching someone what you know also helps in eradicating your prejudice (which you have again demonstrated) when you learn what your talking about.

2) Edgar has a standing invitation to come over. His kids are the some of the most respectful kids I have ever met in my life. Much more than you apparently are.

3) How do you know his family is on welfare ? Is that an ASSumption ? Again you demonstrate your prejudice.

4) Yes, I feel sorry for them. I feel sorry that they have to tolerate people like you that don't know jack about jack telling his kids that they should not have been born. That IS what you mean when you said he should use a rubber, is that his straight "A" kids are a problem to our society, correct ? I feel sorry that his kids have to be exposed to people like you as they read online every day. I feel sorry for them because they are trying to get back on their feet and all you can do to help is make ridiculous prejudiced statements.

Maybe when you decide to drop the fear and hate, you can open your head and learn something.

Get involved in solving the problem, its easier and less embarrassing than trying to be right without knowing what your talking about.

[manini_fish]

Shipping containers are advertised for sale as "living quarters" in the big island papers. Although it's better than a 36 sq ft cubicle a trailer in a trailer park makes more sense.

I lived in a single wide two bedroom trailer as a young soldier and it wasn't bad at all. The trailer park had strict rules and the landscaping was nice. I think it's time the state and counties get real about affordable housing and allow trailer parks in Hawaii (hopefully the tornadoes won't follow).

[Jane]

"emergency shelter can give you the warm fuzzies. It's like your own little kindergarten room where you can dole out mats, snacks, moral lessons and admonishments -- and even allow TV time."

Read these.

http://starbulletin.com/2006/08/03/editorial/...

http://starbulletin.com/2008/02/03/editorial/...

[JMiguel]

DEAR HELP:
People need to move to the mainland where there are more jobs, the salaries are higher and the cost-of-living is 25% less. Almost 50%(200,000) of all (400,000) Native Hawaiians on the planet now live on the mainland. Smart Buggahs! Not to mention all the Hawai'i Filipinos and AJAs who have also moved to the mainland. They have enough discretionary cash to visit Hawai'i when they need to. And if they don't live in Las Vegas...they can get there in a few hours from LA (Torrance/Gardena) SF (San Jose/Hayward) or San Diego. Unless you ride big waves...why live in Hawai'i? You can purchase a home in Las Vegas now for almost nothing. Except they have no teachers in Las Vegas so they're hiring from the Philippines. Can't be any worse than the DOE?
JMiguel
==========

HELP QUOTED:
Too busy working and worrying if I can make enough money to pay rent, meet my mortgage, buy food, keep up my insurance policies, and just tread water. Life sure got harder even for us college grads. Solve your own problems. Don't move to Hawaii.

[JMiguel]

Yes...the Native Hawaiians are unconsciously building up the gene pool...decimated after the Europeans sailed here. Unfortunately many of the homeless including the Hawaiian Activists (who are not homeless) are functionally illiterate. Their parents didn't engage them in conversation or read aloud to them or convey much world knowledge and vocabulary. There have been at least 8 generations (over 200 years) of Hawaiians living below the poverty line.
JMiguel

[Von in Aiea]

This emergency shelter is way too small for all of the Hawaii people to fit inside.

I suggest because Molokai is having a such hard time just maybe we could use that Island as an Emergency space.

With the Hawaii tax stimulus check of One Dollar going out to all of the Hawaii people to help them get back on their feet it has to work.

[Optimistic Kupuna]

HAWAIIAN BUT NONHAWAIIAN wrote:

WHY DOES OHA PLANS TO BUILD THEIR OFFICE AT THAT LOCATION? I UNDERSTOOD THAT THE LANDS AROUND THE WATERFRONT ARE RESERVED FOR MARITIME PURPOSES ONLY? PERHAPS THEY HAVE MISSPLACED THEIR VALUES OR THEY ARE SHOWING THEIR TRUE REAL VALUES. THAT LAND CAN GENERATE INCOME TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE OF HAWAII, THE SAME PEOPLE YOU CLAIM TO REPRESENT AND CARE ABOUT.

I agree with you. If OHA is really trying to prove to itself that it truly cares about putting people first and putting them back on public lands, then OHA should give them that opportunity now, starting first with the homeless citizens at Kakaako regardless of their creed, ethnicity, gender, marital, economic and/or gender status.

[anobody]

Badest Okole of ALL wrote:

<quoted text>
You're just another arrogant liberal feeling sorry for the homeless - why don't you invite Edgar and his family to your place??? You'd be helping Hawaii and getting another family off welfare!

Good one!Maybe these people should at least have a job lined up before they move here,and do the math on how much it cost to live here.

[windward wahine]

I just want to pay note to and commend Utu Langi and his wife, Samiana, who along with the United Methodist Church and volunteers, have worked so selflessly and devotedly to starting this shelter. I have met them and on several occasions and collected many necessities to help them with the shelter. It's these kinds of people that keep hope alive. People are homeless for such varying reasons and many are employed, so let's be careful not top pass too much judgement. That could be us under the right set of circumstances. Sure, there are those you will never be able to help, that choose to just give up and live off the system. You just have to focus on the ones whho DO want to get out of that situation and the Next Step shelter, with it's strict rules of acceptable behavior and requirement for getting out of there early in the am and getting skills and education have provided several hundred people with the ability to move into their own residences. Let's all support this team of very caring and committed people and take collections of food, bedding, towels, toiletries, etc to the Methodist Church on Beretania (across from the Academy of Arts) and ask for Utu or Samiana. I can guarantee your donations and care make a huge difference. The reality is we cannot shut our eyes to this growing problem that will only get worse as our cost of living keeps going up and wages don't keep in line. When this becomes a two class society of ultra rich and service industry workers just ekeing out their living, then we could be surprised at who shows up on the shelter's doors next. Let's get out of this "as long as I've got mine" mentality and realize that nothing that they are are we not also.