The governor of Hawaii declared a state of emergency Friday in an effort to provide housing to the homelessness population. The state is facing a crisis regarding homelessness, as a 23 percent increase has been recorded in the unsheltered homeless population between 2014 and 2015, with a 46 percent increase in the number of unsheltered families.
"We are making sure that we have options for those who are homeless to move into an emergency shelter, and the biggest deficit in the system is shelter space for families. So the emergency proclamation would allow us to stand up shelters for families in an expeditious manner," Hawaii Gov. David Ige said at a press conference, according to Fox News.
NEWS RELEASE: Governor Ige signs emergency proclamation to address homelessness statewide: https://t.co/15k0BbjZU7 pic.twitter.com/l4wIEwmwVo
— Governor David Ige (@GovHawaii) October 17, 2015
While the move will help lessen the crisis, a lot still remains to be done. "There's still much work to do. Hawaii has the highest rate of homelessness per capita among the 50 states, with an estimated 465 homeless individuals per 100,000. The alarming increase in unsheltered individuals and families over the past two years is particularly significant on Oahu," said Scott Morishige, the governor's administrator for homelessness issues, according to The Christian Science Monitor.
Of a total population of 1.36 million, an estimated 7,620 are homeless in Hawaii, according Cindy McMillan, spokeswoman to the governor. The Aloha State has the highest rate of homelessness per capita of any of the 50 states, with 465 people per 100,000 citizens, without shelter, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, reported CNN.
