#homeless hawaii

Residential Youth & Empowerment Services (RYSE), a nonprofit organization that works to equip families and communities to end the cycle of homelessness, today announced that it has received a $2.5 million grant from Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos through the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund.

The Reimagining Public Safety in Hawai‘i Coalition is calling on state legislators to shift funding toward community-based solutions rather than incarceration.

Project Hawai’i, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty for homeless children, is calling on the community to support its upcoming Teen Mentorship Residency Program. This immersive summer program aims to empower homeless teen girls through mentorship, skill-building activities, and leadership opportunities throughout the month of July. The program will provide up […]

For the first time since 2014, Hawaiʻi Foodbank has released a comprehensive report detailing the state of food insecurity across Hawaiʻi.

This additional funding is a second allocation awarded to help communities in Maui recover in the wake of the devastating wildfires. HUD provided $1.3 million in RUSH funding in August 2023.

Hawaiʻi Governor Josh Green today delivered an address marking one year in office. In his address, he highlighted issues and efforts to address affordable housing, education, tourism, red hill, gun violence, healthcare and Maui’s recovery following the Aug. 8 wildfires.

Diamond Head State Monument will reopen on Monday, June 12, 2023. The state Department of Land and Natural Resources reports that the water main outage that forced the closure of the park on Sunday has since been repaired.

Governor Josh Green, M.D. hosted a blessing for the first kauhale site built under his Administration. The medical respite kauhale, named Pūlama Ola, is housed in the backyard of the Governor’s residence on the grounds of the Department of Health parking lot. This community housing project will serve inpatient and emergency room patients discharged from urban Honolulu hospitals who would otherwise exit medical care into homelessness.

The County of Maui was among approximately 30 states and 173 local homelessness programs across the nation that were awarded a total of $315 million in funding to address unsheltered individuals and families with severe service needs.

The proclamation allows for exemptions from certain processes that typically delay projects in order to expedite construction of low-impact kauhale, or tiny home communities.

“The data above provides evidence that we need to address the housing problem through various legislative remedies, including increasing housing supply and options, zoning reforms, and funding affordable housing,” said Samar Jha, AARP Government Affairs Director. 

Governor David Ige signed three bills into law on Friday that he said supports the state’s ongoing effort to build more affordable homes and provide families and individuals experiencing homelessness with the services they need.

Millions in funding and additional studies to improve education, health care and social safety net programs for Hawai’i are included the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2022 that passed Congress and was signed into law by the President earlier this month.

US Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined 13 Senate colleagues in urging President Biden to include $4 billion in homeless assistance grants in his Fiscal Year 2023 budget.

Governor David Ige has notified House and Senate leaders of his final veto list, which includes five of the six measures that were on the Intent to Veto list submitted to lawmakers on Aug. 31.

Carl Bonham, Executive Director of University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization (UHERO), said he expects visitors will begin returning to Hawaiʻi during the 3rd quarter at levels about 28% of those from previous years and that number could be up to 50% by the end of the year. He expects that we will have regained about 100,000 jobs by the end of the year but will still have double digit percentage unemployment.

Mayor Victorino said the county is also looking to add more homeless shelter space in cooperation with the carpenters union and HPM–the company that constructed emergency shelters on Hawaiʻi Island in Hilo.  

A homegrown effort to get food into the hands of homeless individuals on Maui is gaining momentum, with an estimated 2,900 meals delivered to Pāʻia, Lahaina, Kahului, Wailuku and Kīhei over the course of 20 days.

Once he is released from custody, police say Edwards will be required to either quarantine in proper accommodations, leave the island or face arrest for subsequent offense under the Governor’s order.

Effective now, all DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation restrooms statewide at small boat harbors and boat ramps across the state will reopen, to observe CDC guidance for ensuring availability of toilets and hand washing facilities for people experiencing homelessness during this COVID-19 emergency.