Essay on Homelessness and SB2989 Bill in Hawaii

Introduction

The state of Hawaii has been in crisis due to the increasing number of homelessness and lack of affordable housing facilities (Bussewitz, 2015). This saw the enactment of SB2989 Bill, which aimed at providing solutions to the homelessness problem. Since its establishment, the bill has received immense support from various bodies, such as the Department of human services and the Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action. The fund support received will facilitate delivery of services and house settlement programs established by these organizations.

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The bill received full sponsorship of various Democrats senators such as Tokuda, Ihara, and Chang among others (Hawaii Senate Bill 2989, 2018). The fact that it is a partisan bill, it has continued to receive support in the House, with minimal opposition. The SB2989 has been encompassed with a couple of amendments during its various readings stages. The Senate has, however, disagreed on its proposed changes. Due to its concern in addressing the issue of homelessness, which is a major problem in the area, the bill is likely to pass into law.

It is crucial to note that besides SB2989 Bill, a similar partisan bill known as House Bill 2751 had been proposed, with the aim of addressing the issue of homelessness in the region (Hawaii House Bill 2751, 2018). It was established in February 2018, and received immense support, with less opposition. It advocated for continued support of housing homeless families in Hawaii.

SB2989 has been able to achieve some positive impacts through its adoption of a data-driven approach. The funds received from various organizations and donors have been channeled into the pilot program and family assessment centers. This has enabled the organizations to reach a good number of targeted populations. The family assessments schedules center has been able to provide benefit reviews, health assessment, and housing placement (Hawaii Senate Bill 2989, 2018).

Conclusion

Notably, the one-day homelessness is expected to go down as a result of the bill (Peraro Consulting, 2016. Appropriation of funds for the Homeless Children Rental Assistance pilot program has seen some children benefit from the program. The counseling services offered have helped to address mental health issues. The efforts of the bill on the viability of making earned income tax refundable to the low-income citizens would ensure that many citizens can afford to pay proper housing.

References

Bussewitz, C. (2015). "Hawaii struggles to deal with rising rate of homelessness." Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-Edna-Hawaii-homeless-20151115-story.html

"Facts | Hope Services Hawaii." Hopeserviceshawaii.org. Retrieved from http://hopeserviceshawaii.org/message-from-the-ceo/facts/

Hawaii Senate Bill 2989. (2018) "Hawaii SB2989 | 2018 | Regular Session." LegiScan. Retrieved from https://legiscan.com/HI/text/SB2989/id/1699972

Hawaii House Bill 2751. (2018). Hawaii HB2751 | 2018 | Regular Session." LegiScan. Retrieved from https://legiscan.com/HI/bill/HB2751/2018

Peraro Consulting. (2016). "State of Hawaii homeless point-in-time count January 24, 2016." Humanservices.hawaii.gov. Retrieved from https://humanservices.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Statewide-2016-PIT-Report-Final.pdf