Hawaii and Seattle declare homelessness State of Emergency
Following Los Angeles (now on pause) and Portland, Hawaii and Seattle have reached the realization that homelessness must be addressed as a State of Emergency.
In wake of decades of Federal funding cuts for housing, community development, and community services (as well as the State of California’s withdrawal of redevelopment funds), declaring a State of Emergency represents a last-ditch effort to unlock funding from somewhere: whether it’s authority to tap into a City’s emergency reserves or help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency:
“More than 45 people have died on the streets of the city of Seattle this year and nearly 3,000 children in Seattle Public Schools are homeless,” Mayor Ed Murray said.
“I’m requesting emergency assistance from the state and federal government to respond to the urgent needs of those who are victims of this crisis … and in addressing the root causes.”“I’m requesting emergency assistance from the state and federal government to respond to the urgent needs of those who are victims of this crisis … and in addressing the root causes.” (Daniel Beekman, Jack Broom – Seattle Times)
The Hawaiian situation is even more dire:
At 465 people per 100,000 citizens, the Aloha State has the highest rate of homelessness per capita of any of the 50 states, according to Scott Morishige, the governor’s point person on this issue. Hawaii’s population is about 1.36 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
“The alarming increase in unsheltered individuals and families over the past two years is particularly significant on Oahu,” Morishige said of the state’s most populous island. “This proclamation will expedite the state’s plans to help these individuals and families to more quickly transition to permanent housing.” (Greg Botelho, CNN)
I’ve often wondered why Americans are only entitled to shelter assistance after natural disasters: this seems to endow the currently housed with privileges that have been denied the homeless. Council Member Capitelli argued to cut community agency funding during boom times (despite the fact community agencies are the first to be denied funding during a financial crunch) because Berkeley needed the money to prepare for future natural disasters. In other words, Capitelli wanted to deny services to the existing homelessness so the City would be able to shelter those who currently benefit from housing during an emergency. Could declaring a State of Emergency now free up some of those funds?
http://www.safeberkeley.org/2015/11/26/hawaii-and-seattle-declare-homelessness-state-of-emergency/ |
