State-wide Policy to Promote Affordable Housing and Alleviate Homelessness in Hawaii

State-wide Policy to Promote Affordable Housing and Alleviate Homelessness in Hawaii
State-wide Policy to Promote Affordable Housing and Alleviate
Homelessness in Hawaii
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State-wide Policy to Promote Affordable Housing and Alleviate Homelessness in Hawaii
Define the Problem
One of the world’s most desirable places for living, Hawaii Island is facing a severe
issue of the homelessness crisis. The geographical location of Hawaii creates outstanding
isolation which leads it to be the highest demanding visiting place for tourists. This demand
for the location intensifies the housing cost whereas the low wages lead to the low
affordability for the housing. The disparity between income and housing affordability along
with insufficient housing development creates a daily struggle for the citizens of Hawaii.
Homelessness is a complex social phenomenon that adversely affects the state by decreasing
the values of the community. This homelessness issue also affects the tourism industry of the
island by creating negative impression on the visitors.
This study focuses on the demographics of homeless people based on age and gender
while providing solution for each criterion. The study addressed the tender aged youth whose
families are imprisoned or abused them. The study discusses the problem of transgender or
the people of LGBT community while seeking housing in Hawaii. The history of eviction
caused by gender identity or gender discrimination arises the need for policymaking under
fair housing act.
The state government identifies the estimated public cost for street-living people
ranging from $35,000 to $150,000 per head annually (Thompson, 2013). This cost
encompasses the cost for healthcare, frequent emergency room visit, police, and related cost,
temporary shelter, and other social services. Even the well-resourced families are facing
homelessness for the increasing cost of housing driven up by the challenges of rise of land
price, high construction cost, and development cost. The homelessness is also caused by the
long history of poverty-related challenges and also for those who are being refused by the
landlords for previous criminal records; the renters fail to meet the conditions of the renters
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State-wide Policy to Promote Affordable Housing and Alleviate Homelessness in Hawaii
requiring the first month rent added with the security deposit money (Rickman & Wang,
2015). The state needs a policy for the affordability of housing in Hawaii to establish housing
stability. In order to mitigate the problem, state and federal government, the non-profit
organizations and private fundraising agencies all are working together to support the housing
programs. While non-profit organizations are facing challenges in collecting resources and
securing funding, the requirement of framing the regulation in a balanced way becomes also
important.
Assemble Supporting Evidence
1. Demographic of homeless people
1.1 Youth
The census report of Hawaii addresses the suicidal records of youth caused by
homelessness. Homelessness affects the normal development of young people which
leads them to suffer in mental and disease. The homeless youth faces the risk of
physical abuse in the lack of family protection. The study addresses the marginal age
of homeless youth starting from an average of 14 years old. The per capita
homelessness of youth gives Hawaii the second-highest rank in homeless youth
(Rickman & Wang, 2015).
1.2 LGBT
Barnes (2010) says 1/g transgender people struggle for housing in the U.S as they are
either refused by the landowners or bullied by their families. Discrimination and
violence on LGBT-identified people cause homelessness for 20%-40% of the 1.6
million homeless youth (Bardossy, Zervos & Zervos, 2016). The non-profit agencies
serving the homeless youths in Hawaii, also fail to give proper shelter for their
judgment on cultural identification, biased by conventional gender identity. The
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State-wide Policy to Promote Affordable Housing and Alleviate Homelessness in Hawaii
traditional native culture of Hawaii used to accept homosexuality which is
transformed into more male-dominated due to colonization, suppression of the
original culture and moral practices by the western missionaries. A strong strategy for
homeless LGBT people is needed in policymaking while the American Civil Liberties
of Hawaii also states in their policy about non-discrimination for LGBT pupils in
educational institute.
1.3 Elderly people or seniors
For the senior citizens in Hawaii, getting a one-room apartment costing $1500 in
rental per month becomes a challenge (Fisher, Mayberry, Shinn & Khadduri, 2014).
The no-income senior citizens live in the street and they have to suffer through
bullies, inclement weather and inadequate healthcare. The street-living people are
attacked by early dementia which fastens the aging process. The elderly people who
living in the subsidized housing are subjected to strict annual inspection which leads
them to leave the home for failing to maintain the home.
1.4 Veteran of US military
Former U.S military service people in Hawaii also struggle for getting shelters or
living in the homeless condition after losing their jobs.While the nation decreases the
percentage of homelessness in US military veterans by 5.4%, Hawaii has reduced by
13.5% population for homeless veterans, according to HUD data.
2. The reasons for cost-barrenness in Hawaiian residents
Hawaii, being the highest shelter-cost location in the U.S, leads to the lowest rate of
homeownership in the country. Consequently, it becomes the fourth highest rental housing
state in the U.S, having 42% housing for rents. In spite of that renting privilege also creates a
struggle for the dwellers while exceeding the national average budget of a two-bedroom
resident by 67%. Lucas, (2017) reported that Hawaii becomes the second-highest state in
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