WASHINGTON, D.C. -- United States Senator Daniel K. Inouye announced announced that the Senate Committee on Appropriations approved $600,000 for the County of Maui to develop the West Maui Community Resource Center to provide safe, secure shelter with supportive services for homeless families and individuals in West Maui. The total projected cost to complete the West Maui Community Resource Center is approximately $2.6 million. Other funding resources include $1 million from the County of Maui and $1 million from private foundations.

"Notwithstanding federal budgetary constraints, I am extremely pleased that the Committee recognized the importance of completing this facility as soon as possible. This project addresses the priority need established by the "Response to Homelessness in Maui County" report prepared by the Homeless Advisory Task Force and adopted by the Maui County in 1993," stated Senator Inouye.

"The number of homeless and at-risk homeless families and individuals has increased steadily over the past three years and geographic boundaries between West Hawaii and the Central Maui business district have prevented the effective provision of appropriate services to West Maui's homeless population. While most of the service providers involved with Maui's homeless population do make efforts to offer limited outreach services in West Maui, there is no adequate facility in which to provide the comprehensive supportive programs necessary to address the diverse range of problems associated with homelessness," continued Senator Inouye.

The West Maui Community Resource Center is presently in the conceptual design stages. Preliminary plans call for a low-rise complex comprised of a dormitory building with a capacity of approximately 50 individuals, a transitional housing building with ten 1 and 2 bedroom units and a multipurpose/administration building with kitchen and dining facilities, counseling rooms and office space for service providers. The facility will be situated on approximately 4 acres of land located at the southern edge of Lahaina. Construction is anticipated to commence in October 1997, with completion expected within 4 to 6 months.

In addition, the Committee approved $400,000 for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to assist the State of Hawaii, Maui County and the community to continue work on the causes of algal blooms, and to develop and implement solutions to the blooms. Activities include monitoring, data analysis, and developing mitigation strategies to respond to current and future algal blooms. Senator Inouye's efforts have provided $400,000 for this initiative in Fiscal Years 1993, 1995, and 1997.

Since 1989, the northwestern coast of Maui has been plagued with massive blooms of the green alga, cladophora sericea. Other algae causing problems on Maui are hypnea (a red alga) and ulva (a green alga known as sea lettuce). The blooms have destroyed coral and other reef-building organisms, and have covered the shoreline, severely impeding recreational use of the affected coastal area. The algal blooms are particularly detrimental to the natural ecological balance of the near-shore reef environment.

These projects are included in the Fiscal Year 1998 Veterans Affairs (VA), Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Independent Agencies Appropriations Bill which will now go to the full Senate for consideration. It will then face a joint House-Senate Conference and final Senate vote before its transmittal to the White House.