FROM JUDITH’S DESK

Tis the season of good will to all . . . But not perhaps for those
affected by the Mayor’s policy of “compassionate disruption.”

“Compassionate disruption” means enforcing those laws that forbid
sitting, lying, or storing belongings on the sidewalk. I’ve heard
disturbing things from outreach workers about how those laws are
enforced.

When police encounter homeless youth sitting on a Waikiki sidewalk,
they enforce the sit/lie sidewalk ordinance and require the youth to
leave the area. If the homeless youth’s backpack or other possessions
are on the sidewalk next to him/her, and the youth is not physically
holding them at the time the police officer approaches, he is told
not to touch it and the possessions are confiscated. Homeless youth
do not have the resources to pay the $200 fine in order to claim
their belongings.

As a result, these youth lose their legal identification (birth
certificates, passports, driver licenses, school identification
cards) as well as essential medications. This includes:
Psychotropic medications for mental health issues; Antibiotics and
other drugs to treat illnesses and wounds; Drugs to manage chronic
and potentially life threatening health conditions such as asthma,
epilepsy, and diabetes.
Without proper identification, youth cannot enroll in school or seek
legal employment.

Without their psychotropic medications, youth may have increased risk
of harming themselves or others, and reduced ability to care for
themselves. Untreated medical conditions can lead to permanent
disability or even death. For example, untreated urinary tract
infections can lead to kidney dialysis; an untreated staph infection
could result in amputation of a limb.

As a result of the enforcement of the sidewalk laws in Waikiki, it
has become more difficult for outreach workers to locate runaway and
homeless youth, and build the trusting relationships that enable
youth to leave the streets for family reunification or placement in
alternative safe and appropriate living situations. The youth are
less visible, afraid to frequent areas where they were usually found,
and more suspicious of outreach staff when they approach.

Disruptive? – Certainly. Compassionate? – I don’t think so.

RESOURCES

 

MAYOR CALDWELL URGES NONPROFITS TO APPLY FOR FUNDS THROUGH THE CITY’SGRANTS IN AID PROGRAM

Mayor Kirk Caldwell announced that qualified nonprofit organizations
seeking grants available through the city’s Grants in Aid (GIA)
program have through December 12, 2014 to submit proposals.

The Charter-mandated GIA fund administered by the Department of
Community Services (DCS) was established to serve economically and/or
socially disadvantaged populations, or provide services for public
benefit in the areas of arts, culture, economic development, or the
environment.

“Under a voter-passed initiative, the city spends a half of one
percent of the general fund on grants for worthy non-profits, so I
urge all non-profit organizations serving our community to apply,”
said Mayor Caldwell. “The GIA commission will carefully vet and
evaluate all of the grant proposals to ensure they are a sound use of
taxpayer funds, and score them based on a number of predetermined
factors. This process removes any political favoritism in the
awarding of the funds. Last year the grants totaled over $5 million
dollars and they are already helping service providers across the
island.”

Information about requests for grant proposals is available online
at: http://goo.gl/pPQuJb. The documents are easiest
to download with Internet Explorer and Safari. Should you require
further assistance, please contact the Division of Purchasing Help
Desk at 768-5535.

All agencies must submit their sealed proposals to the Department of
Budget and Fiscal Services Office of the Division of Purchasing by 2
p.m. Hawaii Standard Time on Friday, December 12, 2014, as evidenced
by a date and time stamp from the Division of Purchasing. The
Division of Purchasing is located at Honolulu Hale, 530 South King
Street, Room 115, Honolulu, HI 96813.

REACH AFTERSCHOOL INITIATVE UPDATE

In March 2013, Lt. Governor Tsutsui launched an initiative, in
collaboration with DOE Superintendent Matayoshi, to promote the
development of a comprehensive structure for after-school programs
for middle schoolers statewide. R.E.A.C.H., an acronym for Resources
for Enrichment, Athletics, Culture and Health, seeks to provide an
organizational framework and funding base for schools to offer
expanded learning opportunities during after-school hours –
specifically for public middle and intermediate school students. The
broad goal was to provide a supervised, safe, learning environment
for young adolescents to be engaged, and stay on the right path
towards high school graduation.

A pilot project totaling over $700,000 was launched in 2014 in which
16 public intermediate/middle schools benefited. The Office of
Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) stepped forward to make a significant
investment, contributing $75,000 to support two specific schools
-Molokai Middle and Hana High & Elementary. The types of afterschool
programs implemented matched the interests and needs of the school’s
student population including: academic tutoring, Vex Robotics, Match
clubs, School newspaper clubs, performing arts (beginning band and
orchestra), Hawaiian language and culture, Fishing club, Ukulele
tutorials, basketball, volleyball, soccer, and wrestling.

REPORT FINDS THAT ONE IN THIRTY CHILDREN EXPERIENCED HOMELESSNESS IN 2013

Nearly 2.5 million children across the United States, or one in
thirty, experienced homelessness in 2013, up some 8 percent on a
year-over-year basis and an historic high, a report from the National
Center on Family Homelessness at the American Institutes for Research
finds. According to the report, America’s Youngest Outcasts: A Report Card on Child Homelessness , the number of children who were homeless in 2013 increased in
thirty-one states and the District of Columbia, and was up at least
10 percent in thirteen of those states and the district. Click here to read more.

HOMELESS SERVICE UTILIZATION REPORT: HAWAII 2014

The Center on the Family and the Homeless Programs Office of the
Hawai’i State Department of Human Services have released the Homeless
Service Utilization Report: Hawai’i 2014. Authored by Dr. Sarah Yuan,
Hong Vo and Kristen Gleason, the report provides the most current
data on the utilization patterns of homeless services in the state
during the 2014 fiscal year. The information presented in this year’s
report departed from what was typically presented in previous years.
In addition to providing information on the usage and outcomes of
particular homeless service programs, the current report discusses
new developments in the state’s approach to homelessness and presents
data on the overall patterns of inflow, outflow and return flow to
the homeless service system in order to begin monitoring the
effectiveness of these developments.

Data related to four types of programs that have been implemented in
Hawai’i are presented in the report. In addition to usage information
about Shelter and Outreach Programs, this year’s report presents data
related to two newer federally-funded programs. The first is the
Rapid Rehousing Program, which uses a housing-first philosophy and is
designed to provide financial and housing support services to
homeless individuals and families. The goal of the Rapid Rehousing
Program is to transition individuals and families as quickly as
possible into permanent housing situations. Second, the report
provides data related to the Homelessness Prevention Program. Unlike
the other three programs, which target homeless populations, the
Homelessness Prevention Program is targeted toward individuals and
families who may have homes but are at risk of becoming homeless.

Child and family related data presented in the report include:
Children under the age of 18 comprised a quarter of the population
receiving homeless services. Of the 9,476 households served, 17% were
family households with children. Families with children comprised
about a quarter (26%) of households receiving Shelter Program
services. Of households receiving Outreach Program and Rapid
Rehousing services, 8% and 20%, respectively, were families with
children. Click here for the full report.