As part of its commitment to end homelessness in Hawaii, the Hawaii Catholic Conference, the public policy arm of the Diocese of Honolulu, is asking Hawaii Catholic Herald readers to contact state lawmakers and express support for two housing initiatives now going through the state legislature.
The initiatives are as follows:
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“Housing First”: appropriate $1.5 million for services to move the most vulnerable chronic homeless off the streets and into permanent housing.
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Construction of new affordable rental housing: appropriate $100 million to the Rental Housing Trust Fund to create new affordable rental units.
Here are the people to call:
- Rep. Sylvia Luke, chairwoman of the House Finance Committee: 586-6200
- Rep. Scott Nishimoto, vice chairman of the House Finance Committee: 586-8515
- Sen. David Ige, chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee: 586-6230
- Sen. Michelle Kidani, vice chairwoman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee: 586-7100
Housing First programs on the Mainland have proven to be successful in keeping the chronically homeless off the streets and getting help for mental illness and substance abuse problems.
The Rental Housing Trust Fund is needed because rents have jumped by more than 45 percent since 2005. Hawaii needs 13,000 rental units by 2016, but the market is not building affordable rentals.
The trust fund has already created 4,567 affordable rental units. Hundreds more are ready to be built and have applied to the trust fund, but go unfunded due to limited resources.