• Legislators seek help for homeless, low-income renters Legislators seek help for homeless, low-income renters State Sen. Gary Hooser and Kaua‘i’s three members of the state House of Representatives are working to help Kaua‘i’s homeless with funds for a transitional
• Legislators seek help for homeless, low-income renters
Legislators seek help for homeless, low-income renters
State Sen. Gary Hooser and Kaua‘i’s three members of the state House of Representatives are working to help Kaua‘i’s homeless with funds for a transitional center. In addition, they are seeking state funds to move along the next phase of the Kalepa Village affordable rental-housing project in Hanama‘ulu.
Even in the prosperous times we are going through right now, a number of Kaua‘i residents still fall through the cracks in being able to afford housing. For some, it may be a mental or physical impairment; for others, just finding the cost of living too high to make it on what wages they are being paid; yet others are homeless by choice.
Building and staffing a locally run transitional center will help those willing to work their way back to being able to pay rent for housing. It may also identify cases where children need to be put in another temporary environment, such as foster homes, and identify people who need medical attention.
Each piece of the puzzle in constructing affordable housing on Kaua‘i is a positive move for both the families or individuals who will live in the apartments or homes, as well as a way of keeping others from having to become homeless due to lack of housing.
The County of Kaua‘i’s housing agency are to be congratulated for their work past and present in creating homes where once there weren’t any. We support the funding of projects being developed by those in this office, for they have a proven track record of success.
If a transitional center is funded, those overseeing the project must be careful of how the center is run, and in finding a location for it.
The safety of those in the shelter, and of members of the community who might live by the shelter, is paramount.
Unfortunately, homeless shelters draw the needy as well as the takers, and sometimes criminal elements. But that comes with the territory in dealing with the homeless.
Our legislators are also encouraged to support the many and varied affordable-housing projects announced by government, nonprofit and private business partners.
We are waiting to see which of these projects comes to life, and how soon that might happen.
Hopefully, this problem will be solved sooner than later.
