The county’s first transitional housing for homeless families with children on Kauai is about to be opened, it was announced at a Kauai County Council committee meeting. The project, which could be opened by the middle of June, involves the
The county’s first transitional housing for homeless families with children on Kauai is about to be opened, it was announced at a Kauai County Council committee meeting.
The project, which could be opened by the middle of June, involves the renovation of eight, two-bedroom apartment units at the Lihue Court Townhomes, according to Bernard Carvalho, who heads the county Offices of Community Assistance, and others connected with the effort.
The department helped secure government funding for the renovation work and will be involved in securing operational funds once the units are occupied by homeless families.
The project, which is geared for low-to-moderate income participants, can accommodate between 16 and 40 family members.
The project will give participants access to services to help them become employed and self sufficient and find permanent housing, according to Stephanie Fernandes, the homeless and housing programs director for Kauai Economic Opportunity.
The organization has programs to help the homeless and will manage the transitional housing units to be opened in Lihue.
The completion of the units could remove up to 40 homeless people from the streets of the island and encourage other groups to brainstorm to find ways to attack and resolve homelessness on Kauai, proponents of the project said.
“It is not just about housing,” Fernandes said of the project. “It means that we can help them gain employment if they are unemployed. We help their children with child care. We assist them with their transportation needs through referrals. They would meet with KEO case managers to develop a service plan that details short-and-long-term goals.”
“It (participation in the program) will improve the quality of their lives, and give them a chance to take hold of their lives,” Fernandes said.
The driving force behind the project is to “move them from unsafe, unsanitary conditions, and put them in permanent housing one day,” Fernandes said.
KEO is working with the Mutual Housing Association of Hawaii, the non-profit owners of the Lihue Court Townhomes, Lihue Court Townhomes, Corp. and the county Offices of Housing, a component of the county Offices of Assistance, in developing the project.
Once the renovation work is done, KEO will rent the apartments and manage the program, Fernandes said.
According to Fernandes, $575,000 in HOME funds and federal community development block grant (CDBG) funds and $14,500 from Mutual Housing were used for the renovation work.
Among other eligibility requirements, KEO must certify family members to be homeless, and program participants must be part of a particular family.
Families will be allowed to remain in the homes for 24 months before other eligible families are rotated into the program, Fernandes said.
Once the renovation work is completed and the families are placed in the units, state funds from the Housing and Community Development Corp. of Hawaii and federal CDBG funds administered by the county housing agency will be used to cover the operational costs of the eight units, she said.
Before the renovation of the eight units began, KEO operated a unit at the Lihue Court Townhomes for a homeless family and three temporary units.
When all nine units are up and running, they will be augmented by another transitional facility KEO operates in Puhi for single homeless folks, Fernandes said. The facility now serves five persons.
The Puhi transitional housing center offers the same services that will be offered at the Lihue project. The Puhi home was initially opened to serve homeless people with disabilities, but the focus has shifted to help any eligible homeless person.
A “continuum care system” of the Housing and Urban Development served as the impetus for Lihue project, Fernandes said.
Several components make up this care system, which involves outreach and assessment of homeless folks done by KEO staffers and medical personnel.
As part of program started in the early 1990s, the KEO personnel travel in a van to island beaches and other areas to help homeless people.
A local committee involved with finding answers to the question of homelessness on Kauai is looking next at setting up an emergency shelter for homeless residents, Fernandes said.
Not all homeless folks need to be placed first in an emergency center, then in a transitional center before seeking permanent housing on their own, Fernandes said. Some homeless persons, for instance, can move right into permanent housing, depending on their needs and available resources, she said.
No true emergency homeless shelter exists on the island, although the YWCA shelter offers help to victims of domestic violence, Fernandes said.
A local continuum care committee, comprised of representatives from non-profit agencies, church groups and interested citizens, also is looking to establish a transitional housing program for inmates who leave the prison system, she said.
The transitional housing programs have been successful, as participants have obtained HUD housing assistance for rental housing more readily because other residents seeking the assistance have found housing, Fernandes said.
Also, one family is closed to completing construction of a “self-help” housing home and becoming homeowners, Fernandes said.
The number of homeless on Kauai has remained pretty much the same as it was in the late 1990s. The number hovers between 500 and 600.
“Our numbers of homeless are steady because the effects of 9-11 (terrorist attack), we believe, caused many to move off island or move in with their families,” Fernandes said.
A more accurate count of homeless residents is hard to track because “invisible homeless” move in and out of homes of families and friends, she said.
Because this category of homeless doesn’t seek out services, they are hard to identify, she said.
For information on the transitional housing units for homeless families, call Fernandes or Ken Ropp, the homeless coordinator for KEO, at 245-4077.
