Hasta La Gadget!

Homeless people in Hawaii wishing to return to their families on the mainland will soon be able to turn to the state for financial help with the journey, when a hotly debated program launches later this year.

State legislators have organized a three-year “Return to Home” pilot program, which will have a $100,000 annual budget. Supporters of the effort, which will begin next fiscal year, touted it as a move that would serve the dual purposes of aiding the state’s 17,000 homeless people and reducing the burden they put on the state’s infrastructure. The bill to which the measure was attached also included funding for substance abuse treatment, mental health programs, and clean and sober housing, as well as various rental and housing assistance programs.

Some members of Hawaii’s Department of Human Services, which will be tasked with managing the “Return to Home” experiment, have expressed concerns about potential abuse.

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