RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, persons suffering from chronic or long-term homelessness represent ten to twenty per cent of the homeless population in the United States and require more than half of all of the federal resources allocated to combat homelessness; and

WHEREAS, state resources necessary for hospital and emergency room visits, police interventions, and periods of incarceration for the chronically homeless who suffer from physical and mental disabilities reduce resources available for the remaining eighty to ninety per cent of the homeless population who are without homes because of temporary financial hardships; and

WHEREAS, while previous intervention strategies focused on placing the homeless in shelters, such practices were largely ineffective due to limited space, and returning to the streets remained the only option for many homeless persons; and

WHEREAS, according to a leading researcher on homelessness, the cost of permanent housing for the homeless is "essentially the same" as the costs associated with life on the streets; and

WHEREAS, the primary strategy of current federal policies committed to combating homelessness focuses on providing permanent housing for individuals, thus offering them access to basic services such as housing and treatment; and

WHEREAS, social service agencies for mental health and welfare, as well as the criminal justice system, can be used as tools to prevent homelessness and to reduce the national homeless population, and the use of these tools costs less than interventions that are unable to prevent individuals from returning to the streets; and

WHEREAS, increased coordination among federal agencies, including the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Health and Human Services, and Veterans Administration is necessary to establish a more concentrated effort against homelessness in the United States; and

WHEREAS, the Interagency Council on Homelessness leads the initiative in the coordination of various departments and resources focused on intervention and preventive services; and

WHEREAS, faith-based organizations historically have had the resources and infrastructure necessary for meeting the needs of the homeless; and

WHEREAS, a partnership with these faith-based organizations, where the receipt of federal funds is facilitated, would greatly contribute to the campaign to fight homelessness and provide for families in need; and

WHEREAS, current federal policies advocate the elimination of chronic homelessness in the United States in ten years through intervention and prevention programs implemented through the coordinated efforts and partnerships of various federal agencies and faith-based organizations; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, the Senate concurring, that the Legislature of the State of Hawaii urges the President and the United States Congress to support federal policies aimed at ending homelessness in the United States; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of Hawaii's delegation to the Congress of the United States.

Report Title:

Elimination of Homelessness; Federal Policies