Futile Plea For Help

The sad saga of the housing farce continues ... in this episode, a visit was made to the obscure IHS housing office next to the women's homeless shelter on Ka'aahi Street off of Dillingham Boulevard. The small sign outside the one door and windowless entrance simply read, "Housing and Employment Office."

Four people were seated and staring at computer screens, including the front desk person. Three other people were observed coming and going. Making a plea for help was not easily understood by either the front desk person or one of the "housing specialists."

In the end, a photocopied list of various senior citizen rental housing was provided. One of the lists roughly replicated the list provided by the Public Housing Authority. No doubt, the list that is due to arrive by mail from Catholic Charities will be similarly redundant. In all cases, lots of staff people. Why have so many people on payroll when a stack of photocopied lists on a table with a sign reading, "Take One," will suffice?

Providing lists of housing is all that any agency can provide. No other assistance is forthcoming. The matter of income requirements was confirmed, though. Income is all that matters. Other assets do not apply. Hence, no qualifying income, no housing. That's why there are so many homeless senior citizens on the streets.

A surprising revelation was that the rules at the various transitional housing/shelters have changed. Residents can no longer stay for two years. The time is now limited to 90 days, just as the traditional homeless shelters. The rise, of course, is to keep the homeless in constant circulation from to streets to shelter ad infinitum. Refer to previous footnote titled, "Homeless Inc."

In any case, the options have dwindled down to either purchasing a "cheap" condominium or purchasing a Nissan® NV3500 passenger van (homeless motorhome). In either case, the best route for now is procrastination by remaining in the 'Nalo studio rental for as long as possible. That's how totally fucked the housing situation is in Hawai'i.