Covering Hawaii’s homeless crisis.
A hundred homeless, runaway or otherwise at-risk Honolulu youth enjoyed a hot meal on Christmas Eve thanks to an anonymous but never forgotten act of kindness some 5,000 miles and 42 years removed. Read more
The first occupants will move into the city’s new Punawai Rest Stop studio apartments in Iwilei around Thanksgiving, months ahead of schedule, offering outgoing Mayor Kirk Caldwell and outgoing City Councilman Joey Manahan an opportunity to bookend their five-year-long partnership to reduce homelessness. Read more
Hawaii’s most unusual criminal court addressing low-level crimes committed mostly by homeless people has returned from a COVID-19-driven hiatus at a new location along the Leeward Coast to make it easier for people to clear their cases and help reboot their lives. Read more
Mayor-elect Rick Blangiardi wants to eliminate the city’s current “compassionate disruption” philosophy to address homelessness on Oahu, including the frequent sweeps of homeless camps. Read more
State law enforcement officers conducted a sweep this week at the Sand Island State Recreation Area following complaints of squatters yelling at beachgoers and dogs chasing people. Read more
Contractors removed about 190 tons of trash between Monday and Thursday. Read more
Honolulu election officials said they anticipated more Oahu residents would show up on Election Day to vote at one of the two designated voter services centers on the island, just not 4,520 of them during that 12-hour span. Read more
Homeless encampments in the middle of Nimitz Highway in Iwilei continue to grow despite repeated sweeps — including one in August — and will represent one of the first images to greet tourists Thursday when Hawaii’s visitor industry tries to regain its footing in the era of COVID-19. Read more
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Today, on the 182nd anniversary of Queen Lili‘uokalani’s birthday, the trust that bears her name is taking a more intensive approach to housing and helping young Native Hawaiian adults who have aged out of the foster care system and have few opportunities in the era of COVID-19. Read more
A private contractor for the state removed on Monday appliances and other items from the sidewalk along North Nimitz Highway where a homeless encampment has grown to about a dozen tents. Read more
Every day, Jasmine Lopez, 33, wakes up in her Moiliili apartment with her 1-year-old son, thinking it’s all a dream. Read more
The Institute for Human Services, which runs The Shelter, is receiving more pushback from area residents regarding the proposed homeless triage and transfer station slated to be in Kalihi. Read more
Honolulu’s original neighborhood — the 52.2-acre parcel of land known as Chinatown — still feels “safe” to 64% of registered voters despite complaints about homelessness, crime and concerns early this year that it could be the source of COVID-19. Read more
Homelessness has gotten “worse” on Oahu in the past 12 months, according to a whopping 67% of registered voters. Read more
In just three months, “Auntie Blanche” McMillan has created permanent homes for 32 homeless people from Waiminalo and plans to build 100 more on state land at the end of the road on Hilu Street. Read more
The once-every-decade federal census of Hawaii’s homeless population — which has been pushed to late September because of the COVID-19 pandemic — has the potential to affect Hawaii’s share of $800 billion in federal spending over the next 10 years, according to federal officials. Read more
The results of the annual “Point in Time” count of Hawaii’s homeless is in, and the perishable nature of such data is evident. Read more
Hawaii lost its ignoble distinction last year of having the highest per capita rate of homelessness in America, but Oahu’s homeless count increased by 0.7 percent during the nation’s latest annual homeless census, while the neighbor islands saw a similar 1% increase. Read more
