North Shore NewsIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many houseless individuals and families, fearful of what the future holds, now for the first time in years, have expressed their readiness to try emergency shelters as an important step towards transitioning to more permanent housing.
Until recently, there were no such emergency shelter resources here on the North Shore. However, thanks to an innovative and collaborative partnership between ALEA Bridge (AB) and YMCA Camp Erdman, along with COVID relief funding from the City and County of Honolulu, safe, temporary transitional housing is now available for this vulnerable population who are trying to move forward to a better life and stability
Aptly named “Huliau,” which means the “turning point as in one’s life”, this pilot transitional housing program serves houseless individuals and families, those at-risk for houselessness, veterans and youth within Region 5 (Mililani – Wahiawa – North Shore), an area with very limited, inadequate facilities and resources to serve the houseless.
Huliau will directly reduce the number of people experiencing houselessness and living on the streets by providing them safe, temporary transitional housing at Camp Erdman and while at camp, essential case management services and help securing permanent housing through opportunities like rapid re-housing or tenant-based rental assistance.
“Since 1926, YMCA Camp Erdman has served as a place where people of all ages have thrived and created life-long memories through our school, summer and retreat camp programs,” said Andrew Keener, Executive Director, YMCA Camp Erdman. “It has also been a place of healing for so many, serving as a campsite for community organizations who work with children of prison inmates, youth with disabilities and our own programs of working with at-risk and underserved teens. While our camp programs are on hold during this pandemic, we have been able to allocate a portion of our cabins and grounds to provide a much needed resource to Central Oahu, North Shore neighborhoods and together with ALEA Bridge, to make an immediate, positive impact on our houseless community.”
At YMCA Camp Erdman, safety is a priority. YMCA and ALEA Bridge conduct codes and CDC and Department of Healthy guidelines have been put in place to ensure to the greatest extent possible the safety and well-being of staff and campers. These measures include stringent background checks and screening of campers to ensure proper placement and success of the program. Campers must also clear COVID-19 and TB testing before entering camp, and while at camp, clear daily health assessment checks that include temperature checks. Capacity is limited to a maximum of 30 campers at a time, who stay for up to 21 days. Social distancing and masks are required for staff and campers at all times except when in their cabins, frequent handwashing is encouraged and high touch surfaces and areas are cleaned and sanitized frequently. Campers are expected to follow the YMCA’s core values of respect, responsibility, honesty and caring. In addition, smoking, alcohol, illegal drugs and weapons are not allowed at Camp Erdman.
Active case management and talk story sessions are held by AB staff each weekday Monday-Friday. Hele2Work comes onsite to provide employment opportunities. Aloha Harvest along with the Hawaii Foodbank deliver food and Camp Erdman staff prepares three daily meals, seven days a week. During this eight-week project, we are taking potentially up to 90 houseless individuals and families off the street, providing them intensive case management, life skills and alternative program activities and a short 21-day turnaround to place campers into permanent housing to start them on a path to self-sufficiency. Staff from either YMCA Camp Erdman and/or AB are on call 24/7.
Art and culture also play an important role in changing one’s life and perspective and so Huliau hosted motivational speaker, Kai Markell, from the State Office of Hawaiian Affairs as he delivered guiding words of wisdom. Kai is widely known for his amazing work celebrating Makahiki with Oahu Community Correctional Center inmates. In addition, father and son master carvers, Tonu & Sydney Naeata, from Ohana Island Creations in Kahuku demonstrated live carving, transforming a plain piece of wood into an art masterpiece. Likewise, many of the campers are transforming their lives. Huliau is a project that serves the greater community good, nurtures the spirit and inspires transformation.
Every community possesses its share of houseless, every community holds jobs that our houseless members can do and every community contains habitable homes where our houseless can live. Those being served by Huliau already reside in our community. They are someone’s father, mother, brother, sister, son and daughter. They ARE our community. Huliau focuses on the houseless already in our neighborhoods to help them obtain permanent housing and build a sustainable future. We all know that houselessness is already a daunting and extensive problem and this project is the start of an evidence-based, client-facing solution with human dignity and compassion as the foundation.
A big mahalo to all of our partners, the North Shore and Central Oahu communities and of course, YMCA Camp Erdman for your support and partnership. Mahalo also to North Shore News for the opportunity to share the Huliau project.