NINE PEOPLE MOVE TO SHELTER AND HOUSING FOLLOWING H-1 AND NIMITZ CLEANUP EFFORTS

News Release from Office of the Governor, July 28, 2017

HONOLULU – Nine people, including three couples and three single adults left their encampments along the H-1 corridor and Nimitz Highway and were placed into shelter at Next Step and to permanent housing. The placements occurred as part of a coordinated outreach and cleanup effort conducted by the Governor’s Coordinator on Homelessness, Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT), and the Department of Public Safety.

“We are working closely with homeless service providers and are happy to see these individuals being transitioned into long-term, stable shelter,” said the Governor’s Coordinator on Homelessness, Scott Morishige. “Our goal is to connect homeless individuals with services and permanent housing rather than simply displacing them from one area to another.”

The nine people represent over ten percent of the 80 homeless persons estimated to live areas addressed by the outreach and cleanup efforts. Of the nine people, eight were placed at the Next Step shelter in Kakaako, and one woman has been placed into permanent housing through a Housing First program administered by U.S. Vets. More are anticipated to enter housing in the near future as a result of continued outreach.

The woman placed into permanent housing was assessed by outreach workers from Kalihi-Palama Health Center and The CHOW Project, and in one day she received a housing voucher and signed a rental lease for a housing unit. The housing voucher was provided with funding from the City & County of Honolulu’s Housing First program.

The outreach and cleanup efforts began on Tuesday, July 25, 2017 and are expected to continue until Friday, July 28, 2017. Ongoing maintenance of these areas will continue throughout the month of August 2017. HDOT, deputy sheriffs, and outreach workers will continue to visit the areas addressed by the cleanup to ensure they remain safe and clear of illegal camps.

The Hawaii State Legislature appropriated $2 million for the outreach and cleanup efforts. The HDOT Highways Division matched an additional $2 million for a total of $4 million to support these efforts.

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