THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

186

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2005

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

H.D. 1

   


SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

urging the federal, state, and county governments to WORK TOWARD MORE HUMANE ALTERNATIVES TO RELOCATING homeless people from public areas.

 

WHEREAS, addressing the needs of those living without a permanent shelter has been an extremely difficult situation to manage; and

WHEREAS, many groups and individuals are doing admirable work in feeding the homeless and trying to find them employment, job training, housing, and substance abuse and mental health services; and

WHEREAS, despite the efforts of many to manage the issue of homelessness, the problem continues to increase and communities, which are concerned about the health and safety of their residents, have demanded that the homeless be removed from areas in their communities where they congregate; and

WHEREAS, recent removals of the homeless have occurred at several locations on Oahu so that the public can regain use of public areas and for a reduction of the perceived threat of criminal activity in the community; and

WHEREAS, even those who must remove the homeless from public areas, and those residents concerned about health and safety issues posed by the homeless, understand that removal from a location will not address the underlying reasons for homelessness, whether they be societal or personal ones; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature is attempting to address long-term solutions to homelessness, including repairing or building hundreds of public housing units, housing subsidies and services, employment and job training programs, ways of combating substance abuse, and food distribution programs; and

WHEREAS, while long-term solutions are desirable, they cannot respond to the immediate problems faced by homeless people who have been recently moved; and

WHEREAS, one solution being considered is for federal, state, and county governments to designate areas within large public facilities such as public parks, unused government facilities, and abandoned military facilities where the homeless can stay under existing health and safety rules and regulations; and

WHEREAS, implementation of even short-term programs is rarely immediate, yet the current plight of the homeless is an immediate and all-encompassing reality; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Legislature requests federal, state, county governments, and community partners, to:

(1) Designate, with input from the community, areas within large public facilities such as public parks, unused government facilities, and abandoned military facilities as places where the homeless can stay under existing health and safety rules and regulations;

(2) Emphasize to the homeless that such areas are not permanent sites, but a temporary housing area as part of resolving the homeless issue and that these sites are only temporary and not permanent, and that they will be provided assistance in locating to permanent housing during a transitional period; and

(3) Develop a policy that may limit the hours of utilization by the homeless on these designated sites and to adopt a policy that will also address the issue of separating individuals, couples, and families within the designated sites;

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; Directors of Human Services, Finance, Health, Labor and Industrial Relations, and Transportation; Comptroller; Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture; Superintendent of Education; Adjutant General; Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources; Chairperson of the Hawaiian Homes Commission; Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Mayors of each county; Chairpersons of the county councils of each county; Partners in Care; Inter-Agency Council on Homelessness; and the Honolulu Office of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Report Title:

Moratorium on Relocation of the Homeless from Public Areas