Aloha Friend,

Governor Josh Green and his team continue to implement new solutions and make progress toward the goal of reducing homelessness by 50% over the next two years.

If you support Josh’s efforts to reduce homelessness in Hawaii, please consider chipping in a contribution today.

Just over a year ago, we faced the second-highest per capita homeless rate in the country.

Hawaii’s rate of homelessness of 43 per 10,000 people is more than double the national rate of 18 per 10,000 — with a total of 6,223 people unhoused.

Soon after taking office, Josh signed an Emergency Proclamation on Homelessness to cut through the red tape preventing much needed action — allowing us to begin the construction of 12 kauhale villages statewide in 2024 and 20 by the end of 2025.

Kauhale are communal villages with modest housing units for homeless individuals or small households — with shared space for cooking, eating, recreation, growing food, and community activities.

Studies show that providing housing for chronically homeless individuals not only improves health outcomes but also saves taxpayers millions in healthcare costs.

A recent report by the University of Hawaii Center on the Family found that the average healthcare costs for a homeless person treated in the ER, in substance abuse programs, and in other health care settings were about $8,162 per month — but six months after these individuals were placed into permanent housing, their health care costs dropped by 76% to an average $1,965 per month.

By implemented new solutions like these — driven by data and rooted in our values — we will continue to make real progress on homelessness.

Mahalo,

Team Green