HomeMy WebLinkAboutJohassen, Alyssa
Tsuneda, Kaci
From:Alyssa Johnasen <alyssa@neighborhoodplace.org>
Sent:Friday, September 11, 2026 1:57 PM
To:Council Testimony
Subject:Strong Support for Hawaiʻi County Bill 192 – Continuation of the Homelessness and
Housing Fund
Aloha Hawai ʻ i County Council Members,
I am writing to express my strong support for Hawai ʻ i County Bill 192, which would continue the County’s
Homelessness and Housing Fund (HHF) through June 30, 2029.
The need for stable housing and meaningful support for our unhoused neighbors has not gone away.
Across Hawai ʻ i Island, families, youth, and individuals continue to face rising housing costs, limited
affordable housing, and barriers that can make it incredibly difficult to find and maintain a safe place to
call home.
Local organizations are doing the hard, hands-on work of meeting people where they are and helping our
community move toward greater housing stability.
We need to keep that work moving forward.
The Homelessness and Housing Fund provides critical support that allows organizations working on the
front lines of homelessness to continue serving our community. These resources help sustain programs
that connect people to housing, provide concrete supports, conduct outreach to people experiencing
unsheltered homelessness, prevent homelessness, and help individuals and families build a stronger
foundation for long-term stability.
At Neighborhood Place of Puna, we see every day what happens when our community has the resources
to show up for one another. Our teams work directly with families, youth, and individuals throughout East
Hawai ʻ i, often meeting people in some of their most difficult moments and helping them navigate the
path toward safety, stability, and opportunity.
This work takes time. Housing stability cannot be built overnight, and the organizations doing this work
need reliable, continued investment to create lasting impact.
Continuing the HHF through 2029 would provide much-needed stability for organizations and programs
working to address homelessness on Hawai ʻ i Island. It would allow community partners to plan ahead,
maintain services, strengthen partnerships, and continue reaching people who might otherwise fall
through the cracks.
We have an opportunity to build on the progress already being made rather than risk losing momentum.
Ending or reducing critical funding would not make the need disappear. It could make it harder for people
to move out of homelessness and easier for others to fall into it.
1
Hawai ʻ i Island is stronger when our neighbors have a safe place to live and the support they need to
thrive.
I respectfully urge the Hawai ʻ i County Council to pass Bill 192 and continue the Homelessness and
Housing Fund through June 30, 2029.
Mahalo for your consideration and for your continued commitment to housing stability and the people of
Hawai ʻ i County.
Alyssa Johnasen
Lead Public Relations Coordinator
Neighborhood Place of Puna
Main Office: (808) 501-1413
Cell Phone: (808) 642-1001
16-105 Opukaha'ia St., Keaau, HI 96749
alyssa@neighborhoodplace.org | neighborhoodplaceofpuna.org
To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.
To Nurture, Strengthen, and Celebrate 'Ohana
To To To To To
help help help help help
protprotprotprotprot
ect ect ect ect ect
your your your your your
privaprivaprivaprivapriva
cy, …cy, …cy, …cy, …cy, …
To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office
prevented automatic download of this picture
from the Internet.
https://neighborhoodplaceofpuna.org/donate/
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you
have received this email in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete this email from your system.
2