Beyond the Beauty

The State of Hawaii is known as the land of paradise to many. However, it may not be considered paradise anymore once you see beyond its beauty. As you pass through certain beaches, parks and/or sidewalks, you will notice those with long, shaggy hair, dirt filled fingernails and old, ripped clothing. An estimate in January 2010 showed results of over 4,000 homeless residents, a 15% raise from the previous year, on the island of Oahu and over 6,000 in the state. Homelessness is obviously becoming an uprising issue in the State; the real question is how do we deal with this issue?

Every homeless resident has their own reason behind their residency on the street. Drug addictions and laziness are common reasons but one key point many overlook is the cost of living on the islands. In 2007, Hawaii was placed at third for the most expensive housing market. A simple studio apartment for rent is around $1,000 a month. Along with that, necessities, such as food, are not cheap since the shipment of food is shipped from the mainland. There are many who are barely making ends meet.

The government is proposing a solution. They want to provide a one-way plane ticket for the homeless to fly to the West Coast or to where they came from. About 30% of the homeless population is not residents of Hawaii. This could cost the state around $100,000, however, this number is nothing compared to the $35,000 per year the state is providing for social services to each homeless resident. To many, this is a quick, efficient and cost effective solution. But others believe that the issue should not end just by providing a one way ticket and visually removing them. The issue would still remain; just not in our state.

Luckily, there are many who sincerely want to help the homeless residents get off the street and into permanent housing. Unfortunately, there are some who do not wish to be helped. We should put more time into those who take the initiative to help themselves get back into society. If they do not want to help themselves, no matter how great the solutions the government provides, they will not put the effort into changing themselves.