Hawaii PIT2024 Homeless Report shows many underutilized housing programs

by Michael Ullman, National Homeless Information Project

Detailed data released by HUD and compiled by the National Homeless Information Project (NHIP) on the Point-In-Time 2024 found an 82% utilization rate among the 139 emergency, transitional and permanent housing programs on Hawaii. A total of 5,788 out of 7,084 total beds reported being filled on January 22, 2024, the day of the 2024 Point-In-Time count. Emergency housing reported a utilization rate of 78% (1,726/2,223), while transitional housing programs reported a utilization rate of 63% (618/984). For all housing defined as homeless by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, there were a total of 863 vacant beds out of 3,207 inventory beds for a utilization rate of 73%. These number do not include the reported 5,245 units serving persons displaced from the Maui fire operated by the American Red Cross.

Utilization among the 3,877 permanent housing units designated for formerly homeless individuals was reported at 89%. Veteran permanent housing programs operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs (known as VASH) showed an 84% occupancy rate on Oahu with 158 housing vouchers currently not utilized. Neighbor Islands veterans permanent housing fared better with only 12 unused vouchers out of 201 housing vouchers for a 94% utilization rate.

There are likely errors in the inventory of beds which may overestimate the actual number of available beds. For many of the facilities providing family housing, bed counts often represent the total maximum available that allow for a large household size. If a family household of three (adult, two children) occupies a unit that could serve up to six family persons, those underutilize beds may not truly be available. It appears that the bed inventory reporting does not adjust for these issues. Other permanent housing programs may have a lower actual capacity due to reduced funding compared to the cost of housing subsidies.

Attached is a full list of all programs and their reported inventory and utilization for the 2024 Hawaii Homeless Point-in-Time count.

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