The state, Kaua‘i County and the Kauai Economic Opportunity have joined forces to create a government-funded project to help 20 homeless Kaua‘i families prepare for affordable housing that should be completed in two to three years, Mayor Bryan Baptiste announced
The state, Kaua‘i County and the Kauai Economic Opportunity have joined forces to create a government-funded project to help 20 homeless Kaua‘i families prepare for affordable housing that should be completed in two to three years, Mayor Bryan Baptiste announced yesterday.
Through the Ka Uapo (The Bridge) program, the state will transform the old Lihu‘e courthouse into a transitional housing facility, where participants will undergo training by KEO for two years, Baptiste told reporters at the KEO office in Lihu‘e.
The services include life skills training, education on renting units and counseling.
“The main thing is to bridge the gap between the solutions (more affordable housing) that are coming in the future and the present (homeless) situation,” Baptiste said. “That is all this is. It is not a homeless shelter. It is a bridging area.”
The project could be operational in 17 weeks, he said.
Once the participants move into government-backed affordable housing projects that should be completed in two years or so, the courthouse will be converted into office space for use by the state, according to Russ Saito, the state comptroller of the state Department of Accounting and General Services.
Baptiste and MaBel Fujiuchi, the chief executive officer of KEO, said the homeless situation on Kaua‘i is dire.
More than 900 homeless individuals have been currently identified, Fujiuchi said. That number has jumped from 500 homeless five to seven years ago.
The homeless population has increased as more people are unable to afford high rents and more homeless people are coming from elsewhere.
Baptiste said he recognized the growing crisis, and at his request, Lingle signed an emergency declaration to create the program.
“We are thankful that Gov. Lingle has made it a priority to find solutions for Hawai‘i’s homeless crisis,” Baptiste also said in a news release.
While saying he also wants to help the homeless, House Rep. James Tokioka (D-15th District) said the process for the declaration didn’t allow for public comment.
“(Residents) want to know how come there was no input given from the community, including elected officials,” he said.
Tokioka said homelessness has been an ongoing issue, and wondered why Lingle would declare an emergency now.
Tokioka said residents who live around the project should have had a chance to give comment.
“I am sure the people who send their children to Wilcox (Elementary School) would want to give some input,” he said.
Tokioka said he hopes the program doesn’t create another controversy like the one that arose when Hanapepe residents claimed government didn’t get in touch with a sufficient number of them before moving forward with the island’s first residential treatment facility for youths at the old Kauai Humane Society complex site.
But county officials said they had met the necessary notice requirements for the project.
Baptiste said he is very aware of community concerns related to the latest project and that the courthouse will be redesigned to mitigate any fears residents may have about the project’s impact.
Baptiste and Fujiuchi said they are optimistic about the success of the project, stressing applicants will be screened and interviewed before they can join the program. Those convicted of violent crimes will not be considered, they said.
State officials were not immediately available yesterday to comment on the circumstances that led to the emergency declaration.
Saito said officials considered other state buildings and properties for the temporary transitional housing facility before selecting the courthouse.
His department, for instance, considered using the former Kaua‘i Police Department headquarters in Lihu‘e, but waived that option due to high renovation costs.
“Because it has hazardous materials, we didn’t need to go much further,” he said. “We looked for a facility that was big enough and which was available, and the only thing that fit that bill was the old Lihu‘e courthouse.”
The state will spend $800,000 for improvements at the old courthouse, including installing more fire alarms and overhead fire sprinklers, Saito said.
Of the $800,000, $300,000 will be used to buy portable showers that will be placed outside the courthouse for use by program participants, Saito said.
When the program is completed in two years, the showers can be used for other state projects or for emergencies, Baptiste said.
Through Act 100, the Legislature appropriated money to provide short-term homeless solutions. With a $400,000 grant, the county will hire KEO to manage the project.
Fujiuchi also said the project participants will live in dorm-like settings, with meals to be prepared KEO and served in he rotunda of the old courthouse.
Baptiste said KEO identified 70 working families as possible candidates for the program last fall. From a priority list, the 20 participants — ranging from a couple to a family of seven — will be selected.
After they have gone through the program, they should be able to move into 80 new rental units that will be built at the county’s Kalepa housing project Hanama‘ulu and another 82 affordable units Kaua‘i Lagoons will build in Waipouli, according to county housing specialist Ken Rainforth.
Kaua‘i Lagoons was required to build such units as a rezoning condition for its resort lands in Nawiliwili.
Baptiste said he especially wants to help children get into permanent affordable housing, as there exists no reason for them to” have to be left in the elements because we can find them a place to stay.”
Although the program runs two years, participants can leave sooner if they are ready, thus opening the way for more eligible homeless to be helped, Baptiste said.
Fujiuchi said potential program candidates will be screened according to these criterion: commitment to the program, income, references, criminal history and recommendations by KEO professionals.
All participating families will have to develop a plan that addresses short-and-long-term housing needs and fiancees, as well as attend monthly meetings to track their progress and to ensure their success, Baptiste said.
“In addition, participants will need to develop a budget, make monthly deposits in a savings account and complete a rent-ready training program,” he said.
Among those attending yesterday’s meeting were 16th House Rep. Roland Sagum III, state official Stanley Doi and KEO employees who work with the homeless.
Baptiste also said an information meeting on the project is scheduled for 7 p.m., Aug. 1 at the Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall.
• Lester Chang, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) or lchang@kauaipubco.com.
