June 5, 2019, 11:24 AM HST (Updated June 5, 2019, 11:24 AM)
Lt. Gov. Josh Green and his team toured Hawai‘i Island, Maui, Moloka‘i, and Kaua‘i in May 2019 in an effort to better understand how homelessness is impacting every part of our state.
“It was an unforgettable, truly invaluable experience and I will take what I learned to heart and share it with others as we continue to combat Hawai‘i’s homeless crisis,” Lt. Gov. Green said in and email update.
Just off one of Hilo’s main roads is a dirt path leading to people living in the woods close to town—just a half-block away from Target and Walmart.
Hope Services outreach workers lead Lt. Gov. Green and Hawai‘i County Councilwoman Sue Lee Loy to the encampment to call attention to the growing homeless crisis on the Big Island.
Councilwoman Loy told Lt. Gov. Green about homelessness on the Big Island, which, she said, is taking a toll on the county’s resources as the island also struggles to recover from last year’s Kīlauea eruption, which destroyed more than 700 homes, Hurrricane Lane flooding and damage, and other natural disasters
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- The Hawai‘i Island Home for Recovery is a sober home for homeless individuals in Hilo that focuses on addiction recovery, transition into permanent housing and achieving financial stability. They also have a wonderful, edible community garden where I planted some pineapple. PC: Lt. Josh Green’s office
- Hilo: City Councilmember Sue Lee Loy, along with a dedicated group of outreach workers and service providers from Hope Services Hawaii, took Lt. Gov. Josh Green into the Hilo brush to meet a group of people who have set up camp in the wet wood off the road and out of sight. PC: Lt. Josh Green’s office
- Hilo: Larry Keleeda showed Lt. Gov. Josh Green around his make-shift dwelling. He couldn’t recall exactly how long he’d been living off the grid in Hilo. PC: Lt. Josh Green’s office
- Hilo Bay: Young children played amongst the mentally ill and addicted in the pavilion at Mooheau Park by Hilo Bay where dozens of people camp. PC: Lt. Josh Green’s office
- Hilo: A gentleman who lives outdoors in Hilo was suffering from injuries which went untreated for too long and became infected. He was worried about the inflammation in his leg and expressed that he had no way to obtain basic medical care supplies like peroxide and aspirin. PC: Lt. Josh Green’s office
- Hilo: The old Memorial Hospital in Hilo is in the process of being converted into a men’s shelter and should be completed by the end of the summer. Once it’s done, it will be Hawaii Island’s first completed Ohana Zone project. PC: Lt. Josh Green’s office
- Kailua-Kona: Every Monday through Friday, Hope Services Hawaii feeds approximately 100 people breakfast and lunch at its Kona location. Most of the food is donated from local church and community groups, local restaurants and the Hawaii Foodbank. PC: Lt. Josh Green’s office
- Kailua-Kona: Every Monday through Friday, Hope Services Hawaii feeds approximately 100 people breakfast and lunch at its Kona location. Most of the food is donated from local church and community groups, local restaurants and the Hawaii Foodbank. PC: Lt. Josh Green’s office
- Kailua-Kona: The team at Habitat for Humanity – West Hawaii gave Lt. Josh Green a tour of their West Hawai‘i headquarters and a presentation on their building initiatives and goals of home ownership for Hawai‘i families. PC: Lt. Josh Green’s office
- Na Kahua Hale O Ulu Wini provides affordable housing, transitional housing, case management, and on-site services. Currently, 189 adults and 250 kids live on site. Their youth services program includes working in their amazing community garden to gain work experience, school credit and job refferals. PC: Lt. Josh Green’s office
- Kailua-Kona: The Hale Kikaha housing development consists of 23 micro units of permanent, supportive housing on the Hope Services campus in Kona. The houses are built out of recycled shipping containers. PC: Lt. Josh Green’s office
- While on Big Island, Lt. Josh Green attended the Community Forum on Mental Health and Substance Abuse in Hawai‘i County. Many of the care providers and advocates in attendance are people he had the privilege of knowing since he first began practicing family medicine in Ka’ū. PC: Lt. Josh Green’s office
The councilwoman said emergency services are really feeling the pressure, adding that the county’s first responders have been overwhelmed with 911 calls regarding the homeless.
Calls range from reports about trespassing and theft to fights and vandalism, according to a report by Hawaii News Now.
Communities are also seeing drugs or drug use in kids as young as 12, Councilwoman Loy said.
However, there is some relief forecast in the near future.
The Big Island is transforming the old Memorial Hospital into Hawai‘i Island’s first ‘ohana zone, which may open bt the end of summer. The facility will have bed space for up to 50 men.
The first shelter for families in West Hawai‘i is also set to open in Kona later this year.
A kauhale—an outdoor community for families—may be in the works in East Hawai‘i.
Lt. Gov. Green said the community would be made up of small houses, quickly constructed, possibly made with recycled materials like containers.
“Mahalo to everyone I met along the way who shared their stories, their ideas, and their aloha,” Lt. Gov. Green said.
Read the article direct through Big Island Now here.