(Honolulu Star-Advertiser, July 9, 2023) GUEST COLUMNIST - Michael Ullman, Ph.D.
The most recent homeless point in time count by the Continuum of Care program on Oahu and the neighbor islands continues to show high levels of unsheltered homelessness, as documented now for more than 30 years since the first official Hawaii homeless census in 1991. These counts that appear to demonstrate little to no progress vex both those working in the field, and perhaps even more so, regular citizens who have to live in a community with such numbers of visible homeless people. This frustration could b
There are two challenges with the homeless population: 1) housing those who are homeless — which homeless providers have done very well over the last 30 years; and 2) stopping the flow of new people into the ranks of the homeless. Addressing the second issue is beyond the ability of government, nonprofit agencies, or anyone else that tries. A hospital can mend broken bones from car crashes, but it cannot impact how many crashes occur. The tired conventional wisdom centering on the lack of affordable housing