This decision for issuing an emergency proclamation came after a meeting with the leadership team of the governor regarding the homelessness.
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Gov. David Ige has issued an emergency proclamation to extend and expand the efforts of Hawaii social service agencies to reduce homelessness, which Ige said continues to represent a “crisis” across the islands.
When a governor declares a state of emergency, it’s typically in response to, or in preparation for, a natural disaster.
“There’s still much work to do”, Ige said, adding that Hawaii has the highest rate of homelessness per capita among the 50 US states, with an estimated 465 homeless individuals per 100,000 people.
A few people moved to shelters while others moved to other places on the street. The tourist haven has always been a destination for wealthy people from the mainland United States to buy homes.
According to Governor Ige, the effort succeeded in moving a significant percentage of the homeless from the Kakaako encampment into housing.
Since last August, federal, state and local officials placed 158 people and 25 families in the city of Kaka’ako since last August.
According to the Guardian, part of the money will be used to build enough transitional housing to accommodate 15 families at a time.
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Ige declared that the biggest problem is the lack of shelter spaces for homeless. The rooms, which were made from new shipping containers, each have a window and a screen door for ventilation. “This proclamation will expedite the state’s plans to help these individuals and families to more quickly transition to permanent housing”, said Scott Morishige, Governor’s Coordinator on Homelessness. New York Daily News reports that a number of these have been installed on Sand Island, which is a small island in Honolulu harbor. The coating and insulation keep the units about 30 degrees cooler than they would otherwise be, Wozniak said. Along with a brand new shelter, the cash additionally would go to the state’s Housing First program, which provides homes & services to chronically homeless people with out requiring them to get sober or treat mental sickness first, & programs in that assist families pay deposits & rent.
