More on Hawaii's Homeless Exports

by Shannon Moriarty

Published January 28, 2009 @ 04:07AM PT

It's been over a week since I wrote about Hawaii's proposed "Return Home Program," but the media is still chattering this controversial proposal. The program would provide airline tickets to those who cannot afford them to return to their state of origin. The assumption is that if you're homeless in the state you're from, you'lll have better access to services or perhaps get help from family or friends.

Like many others, I was skeptical about this program at first (which I articulated in my post). But my concerns were laid to some helpful insight I received into the unique challenges facing homeless advocates in a resort destination. 

Tina Rutsch created and managed a Homeless Research Center on O'ahu. Here's what she had to say about the proposed program:

At first, I'll admit that I also was dubious. I know there are opportunities for people to really take advantage of this program in more sinister ways than it is intended for. But I will also assure you that it is true, as the article states, that people come to Hawai'i expecting that they can make a smooth transtion, and often times this is not the case. I have worked with homeless people who first came to Hawai'i on a layover as part of an extended trip and then thought, "I will stay for awhile, get a job here just long enough to buy my return flight, and then continue on after a few months." They never get the job, the friend they plan to stay with tires of them, and they are homeless in Hawai'i.

People have told me that they honestly believed they could live on the beach and sell mangos to tourists, and for some people, that lifestyle works, but it is a very small percentage of the people who idealize it, and even those who continue living this way use our homeless outreach services.

Often I would field calls from people, many on Section 8, who were planning on moving to Hawai'i, taking their vouchers with them, as applicable, and wanted me to find affordable housing for them in advance. "Please don't come," I would tell them. "If you do not have a job lined up, if you do not have family who you know you can stay with indefinitely without jeopardizing THEIR housing situation, please don't come." Of course they balked, and I can't blame them. But the reality is, as I explained to them, that over 50% of Section 8 vouchers go unused, because very very few landlords will take them. Waiting lists for affordable housing can be up to 5 years long, and some of them are not even taking any more applications for their waiting lists, because they have backed up so much. We have among the lowest average salaries for a metropolitan area and among the highest costs of living.

When I was working in Honolulu, I would ask my colleagues, "I've talked to plenty people who have heard stories of homeless people who get flown to other areas, but I don't know of anyone who has actually experienced this (either as client or social worker). Do you know of this actually happening?" Only one person said they had ever seen it actually transpire, and then it was a case where the social worker actually called the client's family on the Mainland to confirm that they were willing to support this client upon their return.

I hope this helps to put your mind at ease in some small way. Obviously I don't know how things will change when the process becomes formalized, but it seems to me that there is a high potential for this program to actually help some of the people who are having trouble in part because they do not have a support system in the islands, whereas they might have at least that elsewhere.

Thanks, Tina. I know this certainly alleviates my concerns. It's comforting to know that advocates are looking out for the best interests of our unhoused citizens in every corner of the country.