Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) announced today that Honolulu has been selected to receive Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) funding from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in fiscal year 2007. Honolulu received UASI funding, which is awarded to cities deemed to be high-risk and high-density, in fiscal years 2003, 2005 and 2006.
Honolulu is among forty-five cities of national importance selected to receive the additional DHS funding for urban areas based on a formula that focuses on threat, vulnerability, and consequence.
"I am pleased that DHS has once again recognized Honolulu's unique needs as the only major urban area separated from the continental United States," said Akaka, a senior member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. "Honolulu relies upon UASI funding to aid the hundreds of thousands of tourists and military personnel who are present in the city on any given day in addition to the city's residents. This cannot be done with state and local resources alone."
Honolulu received $6.45 million in UASI funding in 2005 and $4.76 million in 2006. DHS will determine the 2007 UASI funding level for Honolulu after the eligible 45 cities submit applications detailing security needs and plans. Last year, awards were made at the end of May.
However, Akaka today criticized another DHS grant, the State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSGP), for not factoring in the tourist population when determining the state-wide grant.
"I am concerned that DHS neglected to factor tourist populations into the risk assessment for state homeland security grant allocations, as was done for the UASI grant. Hawaii's population increases by approximately 14% on any given day because of tourism, meaning that a population figure for the State of Hawaii that does not include tourists is useless. This oversight could have caused the drastic homeland security funding cut Hawaii sustained in 2006 when funding fell by almost fifty percent from the previous year," stated Akaka.
During a congressional briefing this week, DHS officials stated that tourist populations were not included in the formula because state-wide tourism data currently is not available.
"DHS should be able to obtain this information, and I look forward to working with DHS to ensure such data is compiled and utilized in the future," said Akaka
The SHSGP provides funding to state governments to increase national homeland security preparedness. The funding is allocated to the state with a requirement that eighty percent be passed on to local and tribal governments. Hawaii received $23.1 million under the SHSGP in 2005 and $12.9 million in 2006.
