Gov. Linda Lingle wants to spend $10 million in state money to help repair private homeless shelters as part of her budget proposal, a move that would help make desperately needed improvements, shelter operators say.

Lingle has proposed another $10 million to expand services for homeless people; the money is included in her fiscal 2007 supplemental budget request submitted to the Legislature last week.

Some of the money would be used to look at new ways to find temporary housing for the homeless, such as old buses, boats or empty buildings, said Stephanie Aveiro, executive director of the state Housing and Community Development Corporation of Hawai'i. The proposal also would fund new programs to prevent people from becoming homeless.

"We are being more open to very out-of-the-box ideas," Aveiro said. "People are just desperate for shelter. These out-of-the-box things do exist, but we've never wanted to go there because there is a cost and it is temporary."

The proposed $10 million for repairs could go quickly, however. An informal survey of five of the state's private shelters shows their needs alone could total $2 million if all the work was done. Lingle's proposal does not specify which shelters would get money.

HEALTH, SAFETY ISSUES

One of the O'ahu shelters in need of repairs is Nakolea, a transitional shelter for single homeless men and women who have jobs and are trying to get back on their feet.

Terry Brooks, executive director of Homeless Solutions Inc., which runs the shelter, said the old building has some major health and safety concerns. The group leases the building from the state.

"It has some severe plumbing problems, a lot of which are underground," Brooks said. "We are having extensive problems with showers backing up, pipes that have rotted all the way through so the drain water is going into the ground instead of the sewer."

Brooks estimates the plumbing will cost a couple of hundred thousand dollars to fix. Other work also is needed, he said.

"The fire stairwells on the building are on the exterior and are significantly rusted so the whole stairway really needs to be replaced before it gets so bad it is unsafe," he said.

On O'ahu, Homeless Solutions runs four transitional shelters and two permanent housing projects with about 700 apartments and 1,500 residents. Brooks said having a decent place to live lifts residents' spirits.

"We're not slumlords. We don't want buildings that are so shabby it's a shame to live in them," he said. "We are trying to raise people up from homelessness into something that is at least clean, decent and safe. That is our goal."

Stella Wong, vice president of programs for Catholic Charities, said the building for the group's Ka Hale O Kawaihae transitional housing project on the Big Island is in such bad condition, it is slowly closing down. The building provides shelter for homeless families with children.

Wong said state money could make the facility livable again.

"(Kawaihae) was built as a temporary shelter that wasn't meant to go beyond two years, and it has been almost nine years now," she said. "It has electrical, plumbing problems and there are holes in the floor. We've had to move families out; it was just too dangerous."

Wong said someone told her that even a rundown shelter is better than living on the beach.

"I said, 'Yes, but there is a standard here that we'd like to maintain.' "

$6M SPENT LAST YEAR

More than 6,000 people are homeless in Hawai'i on any given day, and more than 12,000 experience homelessness at some time during the year.

Last year, the state spent more than $6 million to support homeless service providers, Aveiro said. The $20 million being proposed now for homeless projects is a one-time request for private shelters that operate on shoestring budgets and rely on government grants and private donations.

"It's the kind of focus and need the homeless crisis requires," she said. "We are very pleased and I hope we have the support of the Legislature. It definitely can be justified."

The request is part of the Lingle administration's proposed $528.5 million in operating funds and $926.6 million in capital improvement project funds that would be added to the $9.1 billion in operating funds and $664 million in capital improvement project funds already approved for the fiscal year.

Aveiro could not list which homeless services provider programs will be funded, but said the Continuum of Care is coming up with suggestions.

Michael Ullman, vice chairman of planning for the O'ahu Continuum of Care, said a one-time influx of money is great to help with emergency renovations and rent, but he would like to see a smaller one-time funding and a bigger increase in the annual budgeted amount for homeless services.

"The infrastructure stuff is greatly needed," Ullman said. "The problem is that anything that expands capacity needs ongoing support for operations, even if it is a bus. There is nothing free in terms of expanded stuff."

Aveiro said money also is planned for programs to help people before they become homeless.

Some money would go for inmates leaving state prison, she said. "They have nowhere to go and are added to the homeless rolls. It doesn't make it easier for their chances for success when they are released and in that situation."

NO EASY ANSWERS

Also planned is a rental subsidy program to help families about to be evicted because they can't afford the rent.

"The providers tell us, if only they had a source of funds to keep them in their apartment for another month until their job comes back, they wouldn't become homeless," Aveiro said. "It is so much less costly to do that than when they become homeless and we try to place them again."

Even as shelter providers welcome the proposed funds, the reaction of one homeless person illustrates the complexity of the issue.

Frank Santiago, 33, who lives with his girlfriend on Magic Island at Ala Moana Beach Park, has been homeless for about six months since getting out of prison, but is not interested in moving into a shelter, especially if he would be forced to live apart from his girlfriend.

The couple even set up a small Christmas tree on a picnic table where they sleep, to celebrate the holidays.

He said as a Hawaiian, he would rather live at the beach or someplace outside.

"I love the ocean," he said. "Go fish, diving, lay net."

Reach James Gonser at jgonser@honoluluadvertiser.com.