WHO: Representative Joy A. San Buenaventura, Chair, House Committee on Human
Services & Homelessness
Senator Russell E. Ruderman, Chair, Senate Committee on Human Services
WHAT: Informational Briefing on Hawaiʻi
Homelessness Summit 2020
WHEN: Tuesday, January 7, 2020
10
a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
WHERE: Hawaiʻi
State Capitol
Room
329
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi –
The Hawaiʻi State Legislature
is advancing its efforts to end homelessness and will convene the Hawaiʻi Homelessness Summit 2020 on January
7 at the State Capitol.
Representative Joy A. San Buenaventura, Chair of the House Committee on Human Services &
Homelessness, and Senator Russell E. Ruderman, Chair of the Senate Committee on
Human Services, will lead the summit to evaluate the success of existing
programs funded by the Legislature and to look ahead and embrace innovative
solutions to homelessness.
Gov. David Ige issued an emergency
proclamation for homelessness on December 14, 2018 and recently signed a
seventh supplementary proclamation extending the emergency relief period to February
14, 2020.
In 2018, the Legislature allotted $30 million
for six “Ohana Zones” on public lands, with three sites on O‘ahu
and one site each on Hawaiʻi,
Kaua‘i and Maui. Each
site must provide temporary housing along with social and health services that
aim to transition homeless individuals to affordable housing.Gov. Ige began releasing
funding for various Ohana Zone projects this past January.The Legislature has provided
funding for housing first programs since 2012 and in 2017 provided funding for the
rapid re-housing program, family assessment centers, and homeless outreach and
civil legal services.
"Our ultimate goal is to eradicate homelessness, not just
manage it," said Representative San Buenaventura. "Data has shown a
significant decrease in homeless families and children over the past few years.
Helping those struggling with a disabling condition such as serious mental
illness, substance use disorder, or physical disability is especially
challenging, but the Legislature is not giving up and we are listening to and
working with providers to do everything we possibly can. We also want to ensure
that the funding commitment made by the Legislature is being used efficiently
and effectively."
The informational briefing will first look into the current state
of homeless in Hawai‘i and ask
if funding priorities for housing
and services have been successful in reducing homelessness. The committees also
want to know if the new resources such as Ohana Zones, Law Enforcement Assisted
Diversion (LEAD), and medical respites have demonstrated efficacy.
The committees will then discuss how we define and measure success
in ending homelessness followed by seeking to improve coordination with our community
partners.
A discussion on looking forward and embracing innovative solutions,
such as public-private partnerships, and questions by committee members will
end the hearing.
Guest
speakers will include:
·
Lt.
Governor Joshua B. Green
·
Scott
Morishige, Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness
·
Marc
Alexander, Executive Director, Mayor’s Office of Housing (City & County of Honolulu)
·
Sharon
Hirota, Executive Assistant, Office of the Mayor (Hawai‘i County)
·
Lori
Tsuhako, Director, Dept. of Housing and Human Concerns (Maui County)
·
David
Nakama, Homeless Program Coordinator, Dept. of Housing and Human Concerns
(Maui)
·
Sharon
Woodward Graham, Homeless Programs Coordinator, Kaua‘i County Housing Agency
·
Laura
E. Thielen, Executive Director, Partners In Care (O‘ahu)
Brandee
Menino, Chair, Bridging The Gap (Hawai‘i, Maui, Kaua‘iMatthew Doherty, former Executive Director,
United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH)
No public testimony will be accepted.
The hearing will be
televised live on ‘Olelo
channel 55 and will be aired via tape delay on the neighbor islands
public television stations. The hearing can also be watched live online at https://olelo.org/
or on the House webcast page http://olelo.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=31.
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