Governor appoints Marc Alexander
to be homeless coordinator

Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie named Marc Alexander on Jan. 20 as the state’s coordinator on homelessness. The former Roman Catholic priest will lead the state’s efforts to end homelessness and will work with federal and state agencies, community programs, foundations and the business community.

Observers saw the appointment as a sign the governor will reach out to the faith-based community as partners. Announcing the appointment, Abercrombie said Alexander would work with state and federal agencies and community and business groups on potential solutions.

Alexander, 52, most recently served as the vicar general and moderator of the Curia for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu. As such, he was second-in-command to Bishop Larry Silva at the diocese and often spoke for the church in public-policy debates. He described his decision to leave the priesthood after 25 years for a secular post as a "time to answer a call in a different direction."

Abercrombie said when he arrived at his transition office at the State Office Tower after the election he found a homeless man sleeping in the doorway and when he was leaving he saw another homeless man across the street sleeping on a bench near St. Andrew's Cathedral.

"I think everyone knows that homelessness is a sin — a civic sin — that we have to come to grips with,” Abercrombie said.

The rise in homelessness during the state's economic downturn has caused division between the state and Honolulu over responsibility, because the state provides many housing, social service and mental health programs, while the city has the law enforcement task of removing the homeless from parks and sidewalks.

Hawaii programs that assist the homeless are receiving $10.2 million from the U.S. Department Housing and Urban Development. The funds are intended to help keep 34 Hawaii programs operating in the coming year and are part of the Obama administration’s “Opening Doors” strategy. The federal program aims to help the U.S. end homelessness among military veterans and the chronically homeless by 2015 and homelessness among children, youth and families by 2020.