Housing Farce

Extensive research last night and the perusal of the "official" low income and senior citizen housing database provided insight into the housing farce that exists in Hawai'i.

First, some background information. Any single person earning $50,000 annually or less is considered a "low income" candidate. Most of the listed housing projects have suspended new additions to wait lists. Rents at the projects are fairly high (e.g., studio apartments range from $500 to $1,500 per month) and monthly income requirements are between two to three times the asking rent. There are some "sliding scale" units but the details were cryptic. There are also housing projects that offer "30% of income" rent, but details were cryptic. Discounted rent most likely can only be obtained through social services case workers. People who have Section 8 vouchers are in the best position and have top priority. Personal assets are not considered, although some housing projects do not allow residents to own outside residential property. Only income is scrutinized (i.e., a millionaire could reside at the projects as long as verified monthly income is below stated limits).

Wait lists are pretty much a joke. Time period can span from two to seven years. Wait list candidates must routinely call or submit in writing their intention to remain active on the wait lists. Case workers for homeless clients, by the way, can completely bypass wait lists.

Several of the housing projects were described as "transitional housing/shelter" aimed primarily at the homeless. The locations sounded familiar. And, rightly so. The formerly-homeless buddy always seems to know where many of the other formerly homeless end up. The approximate cited apartment locations are coincident with the "transitional" projects. Thus, the homeless in traditional homeless shelters (e.g., Kaka'ako, Iwilei, Sand Island) are placed into the "transitional" projects. Housing First funding is used to subsidize the rent for one or two years, which is the maximum length of residency for tenants. Once the two-year limit is up, where do the residents go? Back on the streets?

It is also fairly easy to understand why there are so many homeless on the streets. Even so-called "low income" rental housing requires tenants to earn a multiple of the rent each month. For an "affordable" studio apartment of, say $800 per month, an applicant must earn between $1,600 to $2,400 per month. Little wonder why so many people are working at two or three wage slave jobs concurrently.