Hawaiʻi Selected to Receive Federal Assistance to Address Homelessness

Homelessness in Hawaiʻi. Photo at The Salvation Army on Kamehameha Avenue in Kahului, April 8, 2014, by Wendy Osher.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that Hawaiʻi will receive federal assistance through the Medicaid Innovation Accelerator Program to help address homelessness in the state.

US Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaiʻi, who is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, called the federal assistance a victory for Hawaiʻi.

He said, “We know that the key to solving homelessness is providing housing and tailored services together. Through this program, we can maximize resources and change lives for the better.”

The CMS program will provide resources to help the state coordinate with other agencies to design and implement a plan to increase individual tenancy support for Medicaid beneficiaries who are chronically homeless and expand housing development opportunities.