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Homeless couples Oahu's first homeless shelter to accept childless couples is set to open its doors this week on the Leeward Coast.
have shelter
of their own
The Kalaeloa facility will provide
housing for adults without childrenBy Rosemarie Bernardo
rbernardo@starbulletin.com"Our biggest frustration over the years has always been the lack of services for the childless population," said Stanlyn Placencia, program director for Waianae Community Outreach, a social service agency that provides transitional housing for adults with children.
Homeless couples usually are separated and placed in facilities for single men or women.
"If we treat them as separate, they lose their identity to some degree. It's like losing a limb. It's hard to function and relearn," Placencia said.
The shelter, called Onemalu, or "sand of peace, refuge," is located on Belleau Woods Street in Kalaeloa.
The shelter's opening comes at a critical time, officials said, as the state's economic situation since Sept. 11 has led to an increase in the homeless population.
"We're eager to get it open. It's worse now," said Sandy Miyoshi, homeless program administrator of the state Housing and Community Development Corp. of Hawaii.
"A number who have been directly affected by the loss of a job or reduced (work) hours have resorted to living on the beach."
Gov. Ben Cayetano and state legislators are expected to attend a dedication ceremony at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
The $1.5 million shelter project began in July 2000 and is part of the Kalaeloa Community Development District. After the closure of the Barbers Point Naval Air Station, the state Housing and Community Development Corp. of Hawaii slated 13 acres for four buildings to serve Oahu's homeless population.
A second facility to accommodate the homeless who suffer from mental illnesses is expected to open by summer 2002.
"We welcome them," said Maeda Timson, member of the Makakilo/Kapo-lei/Honokai Hale Neighborhood Board and vice chairwoman of the Barbers Point Redevelopment Commission. "We're glad that the homeless will find some refuge and be off the beaches and the streets."
Rosanna Daniel, the shelter's executive director, said about 50 applicants have been placed on a waiting list. Homeless couples and families are expected to move into the shelter by the end of the year.
About 700 people are homeless on the Waianae Coast based on a recent Waianae Community Outreach quarterly report; however, no data was available for those affected since Sept. 11.
The three-story Kalaeloa homeless shelter contains 41 units, six lounges, two kitchen areas and a coin-operated laundry. Each unit has four beds, a microwave and a small refrigerator. One unit will also be used to house a resident manager, while two other units will be used as offices to provide case management services for the homeless.
Currently, there are 950 units statewide to house the homeless. Miyoshi said Hawaii's shelters are capable of housing 2,000 per day.
Lynn Maunakea, executive director of the Institute of Human Services, expects the rate of homeless people in Hawaii to increase as welfare recipients exhaust their benefits and those recently affected by the Sept. 11 attacks no longer receive support from extended-family members.
"One of the stressful things about being homeless is the lack of support and lack of connection with the community, whereas a support system exists for a couple. It's very important not to further complicate things by watering that support down," Maunakea said.