Hawaii Intends On Having All Homeless Vets Off The Streets. What's Their Plan?

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 20 Jun 2015 23:15:56 -0400

I guess the entire state decided it was time to follow Houstons lead and help the vets. This should be a priority in every American state. Houston showed how it's done and now it's time for every city in America to help these vets

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - After nearly 2 decades of bouncing between his friends couches and living on the street, Navy veteran Robert Henry has a home.

"I just recently this last Friday got my own place to live at under the HUD/VASH program," said Henry.

The Kailua High School grad said his problems began when he moved to the mainland to take care of his mother. He says he struggled with alcoholism. After his mother died, Henry moved back to Hawaii but never could get reestablished becoming one of an estimated 700 homeless vets on Oahu.

Since the start of the year, that number's dropped dramatically.

"We know that we have close to 105 unsheltered veteran homeless right now that we have on a list that we really want to get into housing right away," said Mayor's Office of Housing Executive Director Jun Yang.

In February, Mayor Kirk Caldwell partnered with the Department of Housing and Urban Development in a national challenge to end veteran homelessness. The feds provided the city with close to $1 million in housing vouchers for taking part in the program.

"The biggest challenge right now to date is really finding housing units," said Yang.

The organization U.S. Vets helped Henry get into a permanent home. He said at times it was trying.

"I have one thing in my favor, that I'm patient," said Henry.

In an effort to speed up the process, the city recently created the program called "Heroes Housing Heroes." Yang is looking for property owners who have studio or one bedroom apartments to lease. In all, the city needs a total of about 150 units to meet the goal by years end.

"The community really has to embrace this effort. If we do it together for veterans we can do it together for our chronically homeless, we can do it for the families we may be able to figure out an end to all of this," said Yang.

If you have a property you would like to lease, contact the Mayor's Housing Office.

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/29337809/honolulu-on-track-to-end-veteran-homelessness-by-years-end#.VYLNsD7qrpk.twitter

Honolulu on track to end veteran homelessness by year's end

After nearly 2 decades of bouncing between his friends couches and living on the street Navy veteran Robert Henry has a home. "I just recently this last Friday got m

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 21 at 2015 1:01 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 21 Jun 2015 01:01:18 -0400

It's all about the "color of money," for the moment. If it starts under the HUD/VASH program it will be a "fix," if they start under a program like the SSVF program they will only have monetary housing assistance for five months. The HUD/VASH program is much harder to get into and therefore is able to help a much smaller number of veterans.

New Orleans led the charge in this challenge, throwing every dollar they had at the problem. Now every state is under the gun to duplicate the same results or lose their federal funding. The issue is, you can't put a band aid on a wound as large as veteran homelessness. If you don't treat/address the underlying issues that caused the situation in they first place, it necessitates long term assistance versus a temporary "hand up."

Response by PO1 John Miller made Jun 21 at 2015 2:19 AM

PO1 John Miller — Sun, 21 Jun 2015 02:19:02 -0400

I'm what you might call a "prospect" of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association (though they don't actually use the term prospect, it's a matter of my membership application getting approved before I receive my back patch) and the chapter I'm trying to join in Tucson helps a local charity that has pretty much the same mission, "Esperanza En Escalante." It helps homeless vets get into housing, sign up for VA medical and benefits, provides transportation to jobs, doctor's appointments, etc. and other programs all aimed at helping homeless vets live life with dignity.

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Jun 21 at 2015 2:27 AM

SFC Mark Merino — Sun, 21 Jun 2015 02:27:50 -0400

I look forward for them taking care of the homeless vets. They seem to be low balling the numbers in my opinion. There were homeless everywhere. Tent cities all over Oahu.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 21 at 2015 8:31 AM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 21 Jun 2015 08:31:17 -0400

There is a subculture of veterans who do not qualify and are written off. They are out there but the rules to being considered homeless has been narrowed.

Response by SFC Collin McMillion made Jun 21 at 2015 3:51 PM

SFC Collin McMillion — Sun, 21 Jun 2015 15:51:53 -0400

I really hope this program works, I'm sorry to say I rented a house to a homeless dsabled vet who totally destroyed my property. Never even cut the grass even though I furnished a good mower, stayed drunk and high, inviteing his friends over and creating such a problem, neighbors calling the police, etc until I was ordered by the housing authority to remove him and clean up or face court action, cost me a bundle and made me very leary of this situation. Worked well for about 1 1\2 months before going to hell.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 21 at 2015 7:38 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 21 Jun 2015 19:38:01 -0400

I wrote this poem a while back for some homeless vets I met at the VA. One of them inspired me by what he said. So, I wrote this poem.

Where has all the time gone, where the hell did it go,
I was once looked up to, I was a war hero.
Now I sleep where ever I can, where ever I can find,
My face is so old and wrinkled, life has not been kind.

A half century ago, I served when I was called to go,
I was a combat soldier, proud and brave, ready to grow.
My time in Vietnam prepared me for my life,
Drugs and booze were my strength, which led to my strife.

Today I eat whatever I can find, I sleep wherever I can,
I am the people I hate, I am the one they can't stand.
The life I know of using drugs and becoming a boozer,
Has almost, but not quite, helped make me a total loser.

Then one day it happened, I had not thought of Him in years,
I fell to my knees in prayer and shed a half century of tears.
God told me to rise up, go forth, and again become a man,
Now today, I show others like me, what God will do and can.

© Keith Bodine 06/21/2007
A Homeless Veteran

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Jun 22 at 2015 1:44 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Mon, 22 Jun 2015 13:44:33 -0400

It will take a lot of money to the grease the skids. The VA needs the capacity to deal with addicts and mental health.