Bridging The Gap CoC Homeless Point-in-Time Count January 23, 2022

Report Prepared By: Ka Mana O Na Helu April 2022

Executive Summary

Ka Mana O Na Helu (KMNH) is the Collaborative Applicant and Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Lead Agency for Bridging The Gap Continuum of Care (BTG) and is responsible for conducting and reporting the findings of the local Point-in-Time Count in BTG’s annual funding application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). KMNH has prepared this report to convey 2022 Point-in-Time Count results, and to compare this data to prior years. This report presents an in-depth view of regional homelessness, including demographic information and county profiles of homelessness by sub-population for the rural counties of Hawai`i, Kaua`i, and Maui. The goal of this report is to inform the broadbased community, elected officials, government agencies, and other stakeholders of the immediate homeless situation on the neighbor islands. This report endeavors to provide comprehensive data to promote informed decision-making for future funding activities, local strategic planning efforts, capacity building, and program development within BTG. Findings from the local PIT effort will also contribute to and assist the federal government in better understanding the extent and nature of homelessness across the nation.

Sunday, January 23rd, 2022, was the official night of the 2022 Point-In-Time Count. Encouraging data indicate that efforts to end family and veteran homelessness are taking hold in communities, however, contrasting data also shows that there is still much work to be done.

Results from the 2022 Count revealed a less than one percent increase in total one-day homelessness from 2,010 persons in 2020 to 2,022 persons in 2022. BTG did not conduct an unsheltered count in 2021 and received an exemption from HUD due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This 12-person increase can be attributed to overall increases on the counties of Hawai`i and Kaua`i, with Maui realizing a net decrease. Both Kaua`i and Hawai`i counties realized a five percent increase in total homelessness, while Maui declined six percent overall. Maui’s overall decrease of 48 persons relative to 2020 resulted from a decrease in sheltered homelessness (70), and an increase in unsheltered homelessness (22).

The overall increase in 2022 was fueled by a seven percent increase in unsheltered homelessness to 1,394 persons compared to 1,304 in 2020. Unsheltered homelessness rose on all three rural counties, with Hawai`i up six percent, Kaua`i nine percent, and Maui five percent. The count of sheltered homeless persons living in emergency or transitional facilities decreased one percent from 636 to 628 persons, with decreases registering on both Maui and Kaua`i compared to 2021. This marks the third straight year dating back to 2019 in which the aggregate shelter census has declined. The sharpest decline occurred on Maui, with a 41-person reduction compared to 2021. Hawai`i county’s sheltered homelessness increased by 56 people compared to 2021, resulting from new ESG-CV or county funded projects coming online, or increases in occupancy for some older facilities.

An assessment of the type of individuals experiencing homelessness in 2022 found that of the 2,022 total persons enumerated, 1,461 were individuals, representing 72 percent of the total oneday estimate. Individuals are defined throughout this report as people in households (single or multiple adults) without any children under the age of 18. A total of 561 family individuals within 151 families were homeless, including 52 families (170 persons) that were living unsheltered. The 52 unsheltered families identified in 2022 declined 22 percent relative to 2020. A total of 92 children were found living unsheltered within these families, down 44 compared to 2020. In 2022, 99 sheltered families were counted (73 in emergency shelters and 26 in transitional housing) encompassing 391 total persons, including 228 children and 163 adults. Sheltered family homelessness continued to decline and was down from 108 in 2021, and 117 in 2020. The largest decline in sheltered family homelessness was on Maui, which decreased by 21 families relative to 2021.

A review of BTG subpopulation data indicates that the total number of self-reported homeless veterans decreased eighteen percent to 108 veterans compared to the 2020 total of 132 veterans. An unsheltered count was not conducted in 2021, so this data is not comparable. A total of 88 unsheltered veterans were encountered in 2022, down 10 veterans relative to the 98 counted in 2020.

Data from 2022 shows a sharp increase in the level of chronic homelessness among individuals compared to prior years, with 745 homeless individuals demonstrating chronicity. This represents an 18 percent increase compared to the level two years prior, and an average increase of nine percent year over year. This rise is largely attributable to the number of unsheltered individuals increasing by 173 people compared to 2020.

This report tabulates data on unaccompanied and parenting youth households (see Appendix 2, Tables 5-6). Unaccompanied youth are defined by HUD as people in households without children who are not part of a family with children or accompanied by their parent or guardian during their homelessness, and who are all 24 years of age or younger. BTG reported 42 total unaccompanied youth households in 2022, with 35 of these households (83%) living unsheltered, and seven residing in a sheltered facility. The 2022 unaccompanied youth count decreased by 20 households compared to the estimated 62 households in 2020. There were zero unsheltered unaccompanied youth under the age of 18 reported in the 2022 count.

A parenting youth household is defined by HUD as a household that contains only persons aged 24 years or younger with one or more dependent children. In 2022, BTG reported seven parenting youth households with 21 total persons, including 11 children. The number of parenting youth households reported in 2022 decreased by fifty percent compared to 2020.

Given the numbers of homeless found in these counts and the state and federal initiatives to reduce homelessness, continued recommendations to improve the overall implementation of the count include the planning, supervision and execution of the count’s efforts, the training of count staff and volunteers, the handling and verification of all survey forms and electronic data, and the introduction of data quality controls by outreach funders or the CoC.

read … Full Report

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MN: Study: Sheltered homelessness down but unsheltered rates rise in Maui County 

MN: Neighbor Island homelessness up slightly

TGI: Slight bump in homelessness

SA: Neighbor island count finds fewer homeless