Lawmakers Want to Continue Funding for the Coordinated Statewide Homeless Initiative

Hawaiʻi Public Radio | By Wayne Yoshioka

Published February 2, 2017 at 3:19 PM HST

The State Legislature is considering spending billions of dollars in a statewide effort to ease homelessness and provide permanent housing. Some key leaders also want to provide 7 million dollars more over the next 2 years to continue the Coordinated Statewide Homeless Initiative. Aloha United Way Chief Operating Officer, Norm Baker, says preventing homelessness works.

TAG: Baker says nearly half of all the individuals helped are children. If fully funded, an additional 2,200 households or 74-hundred individuals can be helped.

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Wayne Yoshioka

Wayne Yoshioka is an award-winning journalist who has worked in television, print and radio in Hawaiʻi. He also has been on both sides of politics as a state departmental appointee and political/government reporter. He covered Hurricane Iwa (1982) as a TV reporter; was the State Department of Defense/Civil Defense spokesperson for Hurricane Iniki (1992); and, commanded a public affairs detachment in Afghanistan (2006). He has a master's degree in Communication from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and is a decorated combat veteran (Legion of Merit, Bronze Star and 22 other commendation/service medals). He resides in Honolulu.