Homeless in Hawaii

The snow is coming down here, and it was fairly cold yesterday when I drove across town for an appointment.  I listened to the 11:00 NPR program on WAER-FM about homelessness in Hawaii.  I found it hard to believe that there were people without shelter there.  It always seems so upscale and lush - never having been there - and without the poverty issues we see in the metropolitan cities I am accustomed to visiting.

But because of that upscale lifestyle, there is definitely a homeless population that's growing.  Dr. Josh Green, an ER doctor as well as state legislator, has come up with a unique way to combat this problem.  He pointed out that the small percentage of homeless people (3% or so) accounted for 61% of all the medicaid payouts.  (I was driving, so taking notes really wasn't possible...this is from memory.)  The homeless visited hospitals for needed health reasons over and over, costing the state hundreds of thousands of dollars.  A homeless person's lifespan averages 50 years; non-homeless lifespans in Hawaii are 81 years.  But once a homeless person "had a roof over his head" the hospital visits slowed, or even stopped.  But that "roof" in Hawaii cost $1800 per month.

Dr. Green knows this because his proposal revolves around writing a prescription for shelter for a homeless person. This means a change in how the "problem" is viewed:  no longer is it a social issue, but now a medical one.  I would extend that to the people themselves - they have an illness (chronic homelessness) that can be addressed medically.  Their illness is akin to an addiction and can be cured, or at least ended on a day-to-day basis.

It was a fascinating discussion.  I have often looked at inner-cities and, especially when I was teaching, wondered what a difference it would make if kids were raised outside of the city.  Homelessness is one huge step further into the problem.  That Hawaii - with its warmth and beauty - should have these problems also put a whole new spin on everything.  Our costs for an apartment are much less, and it should be do-able to bring people in from the cold.  Mayor Miner has provided housing for virtually all the Vets - what more can be done?  As Dr. Green pointed out, it makes sense fiscally too - All that time and money spent over and over with the same issues that could be ameliorated with a prescription for a roof, social services, and a chance.  A problem to be wrestled with over the next few years as the homeless population grows....