Homelessness is a major issue in Honolulu, Hawaii, with Native Hawaiians facing particularly high rates of mental illness, addiction, and post-traumatic stress disorder. This has resulted in an average life expectancy of 53 years for unhoused people in the state, almost 30 years less than the general population. To combat this crisis, the city has implemented a variety of programs, including Homeless Outreach and Navigation for Unsheltered Persons (HONU).The first timely count of homeless people conducted in Oahu since the pandemic began revealed a complicated story: the total number of homeless people fell by almost 11%, but increased slightly among people living on the street. Despite this, Hawaii still has one of the highest rates of homelessness in the country.
The spot count (PIT count) is an annual census count of homeless people and refugees who are homeless. Volunteers take the census on a single day in March and are deployed across the island to count the homeless. The timely count of Oahu (Honolulu County) is carried out and reported by Partners in Care — Oʻahu Continuum of Care, while the timely count of homeless people in Hawaii, Kaua'i and Maui counties is carried out by Bridging The Gap Continuum of Care (BTG) and is reported by Ka Mana O Na Helu. The report is based on each state's timely count, an annual effort to get an overview of all the homeless in the country. Introduced to Waipahu, homeless people who camp illegally have the option of obtaining a ticket or accepting transportation to HONU. Lily aims to use her experience in outreach activities to raise awareness and support the great work that The HomeMore Project does to continue its efforts to successfully address the pressing homelessness crisis. The issue of homelessness in Honolulu is one that has been plaguing the city for many years.
With Native Hawaiians facing particularly high rates of mental illness, addiction, and post-traumatic stress disorder, it has resulted in an average life expectancy of 53 years for unhoused people in the state - almost 30 years less than that of the general population. In order to combat this crisis, Honolulu has implemented a variety of programs such as Homeless Outreach and Navigation for Unsheltered Persons (HONU).The first timely count conducted since the pandemic began revealed a complex picture: while overall numbers had decreased by 11%, there was a slight increase among those living on the streets. Despite this, Hawaii still has one of the highest rates of homelessness in America. The spot count (PIT count) is an annual census taken on a single day in March by volunteers deployed across the island to count those without homes. The timely count for Oahu (Honolulu County) is reported by Partners in Care — Oʻahu Continuum of Care, while Bridging The Gap Continuum of Care (BTG) reports on Hawaii, Kaua'i and Maui counties through Ka Mana O Na Helu.
This report is based on each state's timely count, which provides an overview of all those without homes. In Waipahu, those who camp illegally have been offered tickets or transportation to HONU. Lily has used her experience in outreach activities to raise awareness and support The HomeMore Project's efforts to address homelessness. It is clear that homelessness is a major issue in Honolulu that needs to be addressed urgently. With programs such as HONU providing assistance to those without homes, it is hoped that this crisis can be tackled effectively and that those affected can have access to better living conditions.
