Posted on Jun 20, 2015
Hawaii Intends On Having All Homeless Vets Off The Streets. What's Their Plan?
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I guess the entire state decided it was time to follow Houstons lead and help the vets. This should be a priority in every American state. Houston showed how it's done and now it's time for every city in America to help these vets
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - After nearly 2 decades of bouncing between his friends couches and living on the street, Navy veteran Robert Henry has a home.
"I just recently this last Friday got my own place to live at under the HUD/VASH program," said Henry.
The Kailua High School grad said his problems began when he moved to the mainland to take care of his mother. He says he struggled with alcoholism. After his mother died, Henry moved back to Hawaii but never could get reestablished becoming one of an estimated 700 homeless vets on Oahu.
Since the start of the year, that number's dropped dramatically.
"We know that we have close to 105 unsheltered veteran homeless right now that we have on a list that we really want to get into housing right away," said Mayor's Office of Housing Executive Director Jun Yang.
In February, Mayor Kirk Caldwell partnered with the Department of Housing and Urban Development in a national challenge to end veteran homelessness. The feds provided the city with close to $1 million in housing vouchers for taking part in the program.
"The biggest challenge right now to date is really finding housing units," said Yang.
The organization U.S. Vets helped Henry get into a permanent home. He said at times it was trying.
"I have one thing in my favor, that I'm patient," said Henry.
In an effort to speed up the process, the city recently created the program called "Heroes Housing Heroes." Yang is looking for property owners who have studio or one bedroom apartments to lease. In all, the city needs a total of about 150 units to meet the goal by years end.
"The community really has to embrace this effort. If we do it together for veterans we can do it together for our chronically homeless, we can do it for the families we may be able to figure out an end to all of this," said Yang.
If you have a property you would like to lease, contact the Mayor's Housing Office.
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/29337809/honolulu-on-track-to-end-veteran-homelessness-by-years-end#.VYLNsD7qrpk.twitter
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - After nearly 2 decades of bouncing between his friends couches and living on the street, Navy veteran Robert Henry has a home.
"I just recently this last Friday got my own place to live at under the HUD/VASH program," said Henry.
The Kailua High School grad said his problems began when he moved to the mainland to take care of his mother. He says he struggled with alcoholism. After his mother died, Henry moved back to Hawaii but never could get reestablished becoming one of an estimated 700 homeless vets on Oahu.
Since the start of the year, that number's dropped dramatically.
"We know that we have close to 105 unsheltered veteran homeless right now that we have on a list that we really want to get into housing right away," said Mayor's Office of Housing Executive Director Jun Yang.
In February, Mayor Kirk Caldwell partnered with the Department of Housing and Urban Development in a national challenge to end veteran homelessness. The feds provided the city with close to $1 million in housing vouchers for taking part in the program.
"The biggest challenge right now to date is really finding housing units," said Yang.
The organization U.S. Vets helped Henry get into a permanent home. He said at times it was trying.
"I have one thing in my favor, that I'm patient," said Henry.
In an effort to speed up the process, the city recently created the program called "Heroes Housing Heroes." Yang is looking for property owners who have studio or one bedroom apartments to lease. In all, the city needs a total of about 150 units to meet the goal by years end.
"The community really has to embrace this effort. If we do it together for veterans we can do it together for our chronically homeless, we can do it for the families we may be able to figure out an end to all of this," said Yang.
If you have a property you would like to lease, contact the Mayor's Housing Office.
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/29337809/honolulu-on-track-to-end-veteran-homelessness-by-years-end#.VYLNsD7qrpk.twitter
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I really hope this program works, I'm sorry to say I rented a house to a homeless dsabled vet who totally destroyed my property. Never even cut the grass even though I furnished a good mower, stayed drunk and high, inviteing his friends over and creating such a problem, neighbors calling the police, etc until I was ordered by the housing authority to remove him and clean up or face court action, cost me a bundle and made me very leary of this situation. Worked well for about 1 1\2 months before going to hell.
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SFC Collin McMillionl , that's the trouble with renting. You never know what they are going to do with your house. I would think maybe 90% or more homeless vets would jump at the chance to live in a home. But, there's always the element who doesn't care about anything but a free handout.
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It's all about the "color of money," for the moment. If it starts under the HUD/VASH program it will be a "fix," if they start under a program like the SSVF program they will only have monetary housing assistance for five months. The HUD/VASH program is much harder to get into and therefore is able to help a much smaller number of veterans.
New Orleans led the charge in this challenge, throwing every dollar they had at the problem. Now every state is under the gun to duplicate the same results or lose their federal funding. The issue is, you can't put a band aid on a wound as large as veteran homelessness. If you don't treat/address the underlying issues that caused the situation in they first place, it necessitates long term assistance versus a temporary "hand up."
New Orleans led the charge in this challenge, throwing every dollar they had at the problem. Now every state is under the gun to duplicate the same results or lose their federal funding. The issue is, you can't put a band aid on a wound as large as veteran homelessness. If you don't treat/address the underlying issues that caused the situation in they first place, it necessitates long term assistance versus a temporary "hand up."
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It will take a lot of money to the grease the skids. The VA needs the capacity to deal with addicts and mental health.
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