It’s gratifying to see kauhale — tiny-home communities — and family-oriented shelters for those at risk of homelessness open in Hawaii at this time of year, when the thought of individuals or families living unsheltered during the holiday season tugs at our communal conscience.
The most recent opening took place in Iwilei on Monday, when the state-run Alana Ola Pono kauhale held a dedication ceremony. The 43 one-room units built at the Iwilei location are clean and functional, providing private, safe housing for singles and couples who have been homeless or are at risk of homelessness. Partners in establishing the kauhale include the state, nonprofit builder HomeAid Hawai‘i and service provider The Institute for Human Services (IHS).
Hawaii’s kauhale initiative, spearheaded by Gov. Josh Green, has built momentum over the past two years. Alana Ola Pono, translated as Awakening to a Good Life, is Hawaii’s 17th kauhale.
Next week, an additional 50 families will move into a Maui kauhale, Ka La‘i Ola, joining 78 households already living there. Ka La‘i Ola, like Alana Ola Pono, was built by HomeAid Hawai‘i — a nonprofit hui of Hawaii builders that has been closely attached to the kauhale initiative since its conception. Much of the materials, labor and professional expertise required to build these kauhale is donated; this, along with the builder’s nonprofit status, keeps costs low.
Just ewa of the Alana Ola Pono kauhale, ‘Aala Respite opened in September on city-owned land, with 32 medical treatment beds and 30 kauhale homes. Working in partnership with the state — a refreshing and economical approach that must continue — Honolulu’s city government has also moved forward to open doors for individuals and families in need. That includes the midyear opening of the Waikiki Vista on Kapiolani Boulevard, which can serve more than 80 families, including those newly transitioning from homelessness and others who are working and housed in affordable units.
Too many children lack adequate shelter in the islands. The latest census of Oahu’s homeless population showed a disheartening 19% increase since January 2023, and included 635 children. An estimated 1 in 30 children in Hawaii experience homelessness each year.
Family Promise Hawaii, a nonprofit focused on sheltering families and protecting children from the physical and mental tolls of homelessness, on Dec. 13 dedicated an Ohana Navigation Center in Moiliili for families escaping homelessness, and another in Wahiawa on Dec. 19. While the centers provide emergency shelter, they also help families stabilize, with private, secure family spaces and comprehensive case-management services to help with finding longterm housing, paying rent and finding work.
Hawaii must continue to support the creation of case-managed transitional housing and supportive kauhale, and to seek out creative opportunities to address the continuing need. More secure family housing options are required. Kauhale are a grassroots solution to this issue, allowing for rapid access to shelter, with essential privacy and security along with community: shared kitchen and living areas, and shared responsibility for keeping the kauhale livable.
Upon the opening of Alana Ola Pono, Green stated, “This kauhale is a testament to the power of shared commitment.” Hawaii’s magnified ability to change things for the better when joining forces as a community is evident in the establishment of these kauhale, in the Ohana Navigation Center and in other statewide projects to address homelessness. All of Hawaii’s kamaaina benefit from our collective support.
