St. Michael the Archangel is collaborating with other organizations to end homelessness in Hawai’i. There is a real need for affordable housing for families and individuals who are flesh-and-blood realities that are often diminished in statistics.
Our Homeless to Housing Ministry is working to end homelessness through collaboration with community groups who can put faces to those statistics. Shirley David, St. Michael Pastoral Council Chair, is the coordinator for the Ministry.
Shirley’s involvement began through the Just Faith program offered at St. Michael the Archangel.
“My involvement began when my comprehension of Catholic Social Teaching, particularly its emphasis on the preferential option for the poor, deepened through my participation in the Just Faith program,” Shirley says. “This experience helped me recognize the fundamental human need for adequate housing with the importance of providing a safe environment for individuals and families to flourish.”
Shirley cites the influence of Cynthia Taylor, St. Michael’s former pastoral associate, who invited Shirley to attend Community Alliance Partners (CAP) meetings with her.
“Cynthia saw the potential for my skills and experience to contribute meaningfully to our efforts,” Shirley says. “My background in legislative advocacy from my professional work in California proved to be a valuable asset as I became more involved. This experience enabled me to support our initiatives more effectively and contribute to meaningful change.”
CAP is a coalition of non-profits, government officials, and the faith-based community working to end homelessness. St. Michael Parish is a paid voting member of CAP. The Homeless to Housing Ministry members can take advantage of the educational opportunities provided by CAP for understanding how the non-profit groups work with the unhoused and with those in jeopardy of becoming unhoused.
“They learn at meetings about upcoming projects and programs of member agencies,” Shirley says. “They learn how to build awareness and advocate with one voice, with advocacy being participating in building the legislative priorities of CAP.”
Another group, the Vibrant Hawai’i Housing Coalition, also invites anyone who wishes to learn to join and attend their monthly Zoom meetings.
“These Zoom meetings focus on the housing needs of our island community, about innovative housing options, and about legislation focused on eliminating roadblocks to build affordable housing,” Shirley says. “With the information and tools learned from both organizations, our ministry members talk to our state and local elected officials, testify in support of legislation, write letters to the editor in West Hawai’i Today, and other press, especially in response to misinformation. Our ministry members encourage parishioners and others to join the effort with learning opportunities and by hosting community events related to housing and homelessness.”
Ministry members help newly housed families through organizations, such as Hope Services, that support families moving out of homelessness. Through foundation grants, Hope Services purchased Kani Le’a Apartments, a three-story apartment complex in Kailua-Kona made up of 12 two-bedroom apartments. The apartments are being renovated to provide permanent supportive housing for families and individuals with low and extremely low income.
“The most tangible outcome of our work is answering the call for furnishings,” Shirley says. “In the past, we have participated in Habitat for Humanity blitz builds, hammering and painting, decorating, and providing support services for the volunteers.”
Through her work with CAP and the Vibrant Hawai’i Housing Coalition, Shirley has learned that new house construction does not keep up with the needs of local residents.
“The high cost of rentals is directly related to a lack of enough housing,” she says. “The slow housing permit process, especially for multi-tenant buildings, and too strict building codes add to the housing shortage. Vocal ‘not in my backyard,’ or ‘NIMBY’ neighborhood coalitions are very successful in stopping low-income and workforce housing projects. In the meantime, families and individuals are living in overcrowding situations. They ‘couch surf’ and sleep in their cars. Wages do not keep up with housing costs.”
Shirley notes that an illness in a family or a layoff that takes a wage earner out of the workforce can send a family into homelessness.
“Working families are living paycheck to paycheck,” she says.
There have been memorable moments while Shirley has been serving in our ministry, most notably while she was canvassing homeless individuals with Hope Services.
“This was participating in Point in Time Counts,” Shirley says. “At least biannually during the last week of January, volunteers ask the unsheltered where they slept on a single night. Collected data helps outreach workers locate unsheltered individuals and guide them toward a healthier lifestyle. We observed families sleeping in cars. We talked to individuals hidden away from view and out in the open.
“The most memorable conversation was with a young woman who offered hospitality in her makeshift tent home,” Shirley adds. “When asked if she needed anything, she said she would take some of the snacks and beverages offered because a wild pig had come through her space the night before, disturbed her furnishings, and eaten her food. She was still upbeat and told us she had just applied for a job at a local store within walking distance. She was hopeful that a steady job would help improve her situation.”
There are a number of ways St. Michael parishioners can help. One way is under the leadership of the Homeless to Housing Ministry. Through that group, our parish is sponsoring a unit at the Kani Le’a Apartments and will furnish it as a family unit.
Donations and furnishing help are needed. Contact the parish office at 808-326-7771.
