HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The number of homeless people living on Kauai shot up more than 50 percent in the past year.
That’s according to results released Tuesday from the 2019 Hawaii Neighbor Islands Point in Time Count.
The annual statewide survey was conducted on January 22.
Volunteers counted a total of 443 homeless people on Kauai compared to 293 the year before.
The report shows the number of unsheltered homeless living on the Garden Isle skyrocketed by more than 86 percent. While the number of people staying in shelters there dipped about 10 percent.
Officials attribute the higher numbers to a “more rigorous execution of the unsheltered canvassing efforts.”
On the Big Island, overall homelessness decreased by more than 20 percent.
That’s due to a dramatic 33.2 percent drop in the number of unsheltered homeless.
All total volunteers counted 447 people living on the street compared to 669 the year before. That’s the lowest level of unsheltered homeless reported on Hawaii Island in six years.
Meantime, the number of people living in shelters on Hawaii Island jumped 22 percent. Officials say that’s due to two new disaster shelters that opened last year in Pahoa.
On Maui, overall homelessness saw a slight 1.3 percent drop.
Volunteers counted a total of 862 people compared to 873 people in 2018.
Oahu released preliminary Point in Time Count numbers last month.
The report showed a 12 percent increase in the number of people living on the streets.
Meantime, there was a 19 percent drop in the number of people living in Oahu’s shelters.
The decrease is attributed to an islandwide loss of shelter beds.
The state confirmed there are 409 fewer spaces at Oahu shelters compared to last year.
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