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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 1059.001 2024-2026 tY OF y Dr. Holeka Goro Inaba :'eo•;�: " '�•`'.+.;,, Council Chair `',�,,cs /;• Office: (808) 323-4280 Council Member, District 8,N. Kona �—�' :' Email:holeka.inaba@hawaiicounty.gov TF OP*NI•'� HAWAII COUNTY COUNCIL 2. County of Hawai`i --i Cz West Hawai`i Civic Center, Bldg.A 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy. -� Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i 96740 rri DATE: September 14, 2026 o. TO: Members of the Hawai`i County Council FROM: Dr. Holeka Goro Inaba, Council Chair 6:44/ District 8 =�.• SUBJECT: Transmitting report regarding Bill No. 192; An Ordinance Amending Chapter 19, Article 11, of the Hawai`i County Code 1983 (2016 Edition, as Amended), Relating to Real Property Taxes. Transmitted herewith is a condensed report prepared by Dr. Hannah Preston-Pita regarding programs and services supported by the Homelessness and Housing Fund. The report summarizes information contained in a report prepared by the Office of Housing and Community Development based on information submitted by grant recipients. The report is being provided in connection with Bill No. 192,which will be discussed at the September 15,2026, Finance Committee meeting. Thank you. HGI:ekb Att. Comm: No. I 0 5q• Ref. To: P7 FC Ref. Date SEP .1 4 2026 HOMELESSNESS &HOUSING FUND ' Year 3 At A Glance Three Years of County Investment and Community Impact During the Year 3 reporting COUNTY INVESTMENT. COMMUNITY IMPACT. peri ,February 1,2025 Homelessness is a complex community challenge throuu ggh January 31,2026: influenced by housing affordability, behavioral health and 2,894 substance use disorders, economic instability, family Unique households served disruption, justice involvement, healthcare needs, and across the 16 projects with other factors. Recognizing that no single organization or directly comparable service intervention could address these challenges alone,Hawai`i data County established the Homelessness & Housing Fund (HET)to advance priorities identified through the Hawai`i 4166 Island Strategic Roadmap. The Fund provided flexible, Unduplicated Hawai`i locally driven investment across housing, homelessness Island residents served prevention, outreach, behavioral health, healthcare, recovery, family and youth services, workforce 1,218 development, and organizational infrastructure. The goal Individuals prevented from was not simply to fund individual programs, but to experiencing homelessness strengthen Hawai`i Island's overall capacity to prevent through housing homelessness, respond to crisis, and help individuals and stabilization and prevention families move toward long-term stability. Over the past efforts three years, that investment has strengthened the organizations, workforce, partnerships, services, and 448 infrastructure that collectively form Hawai`i Island's Individuals helped to secure homelessness response system. permanent housing Additional HHF investments supported system 449 infrastructure and specialized initiatives that were not Individuals assisted in included in the directly comparable service totals. accessing emergency shelter PREVENTION IS PART OF THE IMPACT 381 One of HHF's most important outcomes has been its ability Housing and stabilization to intervene before homelessness occurs. During Year 3 opportunities across the alone,participating organizations prevented homelessness continuum for 1,218 individuals through housing stabilization and prevention efforts. Helping individuals and families remain safely housed protects family stability and can Every District reduce the need for more intensive emergency shelter, Residents were reached hospital, crisis response, and justice system involvement. throughout Hawai`i Island HHF is not solely a response to homelessness. It is also an investment in preventing homelessness before it occurs. This Impact Brief summarizes key findings from the comprehensive 31 page evaluation,Building Hawai`i Island's Homelessness Response System:Evaluating the Community Capacity Built Through the Homelessness&Housing Fund(HHF).The full report provides supporting data, organizational examples,client pathways,community investment analysis,and additional documentation regarding the development and impact of the Homelessness&Housing Fund WHAT HAWAII COUNTY'S INVESTMENT HAS BUILT The impact of HHF extends beyond the number of individuals served. County investment has strengthened the community infrastructure necessary to address homelessness at multiple points, from prevention and early intervention through crisis response,treatment, recovery, housing, and long-term stabilization. HOUSING HHF supported 381 beds across the housing, shelter, recovery, and treatment continuum, including: • 126 emergency shelter beds • 169 recovery and reentry housing beds • 78 permanent housing beds • 8 social detoxification beds HHF also strengthened housing navigation, coordinated entry, rental assistance, homelessness prevention,housing stabilization, supportive housing, and long-term housing retention services. BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT&RECOVERY County investment expanded access to: • Hawai`i Island's first Social Detoxification Program • Substance use treatment • Mental health services • Recovery housing and recovery support • Integrated behavioral health services • Family Resource Centers • Medical integration • Coordinated behavioral health case management These services help address underlying conditions that can contribute to homelessness and make long-term housing stability more difficult to achieve. HEALTHCARE HHF strengthened connections between healthcare and homelessness services through street medicine, medical integration, outreach, and medical respite. HOPE Services Hawai`i's Medical Respite Program, for example,provides short-term recuperative care for individuals experiencing homelessness who are medically stable enough to leave the hospital but still require,continued recovery and,supportive services before returning to independent living. This Impact Brief summarizes key findings from the comprehensive 31-page evaluation,Building Hawai'ilsland's Homelessness Response System:Evaluating the Community Capacity Built Through the Homelessness&Housing Fund(HHF).The full report provides supporting data, organizational examples,client pathways,community investment analysis,and additional documentation regarding the development and impact of the Homelessness&Housing Fund. A Community System FAMILIES AND YOUTH Working Together County investment strengthened services designed to intervene earlier and stabilize families and young people, The value of HHF is not including: dependent upon any one Family Resource Centers organization.Hawaii Island's • homelessness response system • Homelessness prevention and diversion includes organizations with • Youth drop-in services different areas of expertise. • Behavioral health support Housing providers,behavioral • Parenting and family support health organizations,healthcare providers,shelters,treatment • Education and employment assistance programs,outreach teams,family • Life skills development programs,youth services, • Housing stabilization resources recovery organizations,and other community partners each provide These investments recognize that preventing homelessness a different part of the response. among families and youth can reduce the likelihood that a The strength of the system lies in temporary crisis becomes long-term housing instability. the ability to connect those services.Individuals and families WORKFORCE AND INFRASTRUCTURE may enter through homelessness prevention,street outreach, The community workforce includes clinicians, nurses, emergency shelter,healthcare, case managers, housing navigators, outreach specialists, behavioral health treatment, peer recovery specialists, recovery coaches, program family resource centers,youth managers, and other professionals who make the services,housing navigation,or homelessness response system function.People,programs, other community-based programs. facilities,and partnerships together form the infrastructure As needs change,coordinated necessary to respond to homelessness. partnerships allow individuals and families to move between services and levels of care while During Year 3,approximately$11 million was awarded maintaining access to the support across 19 HHF projects,supporting approximately 122 necessary to work toward greater stability.No single organization is direct service staff,5 resource centers, 381 beds across expected to meet every need. the continuum,island wide outreach, mobile hygiene Instead,each provider contributes services and data infrastructure. its area of expertise within a broader community system designed to connect people to the WHAT COORDINATED CARE CAN LOOK LIKE right services at the right time. Unsheltered Homelessness to Recovery and Housing An individual living unsheltered may first be engaged by Project Vision Hawai`i through street outreach, street medicine, hygiene resources, and repeated engagement. When the individual is ready for additional assistance, a referral may be coordinated to The This Impact Brief summarizes key findings from the comprehensive 31-page evaluation,Building Hawaii Island's Homelessness Response System:Evaluating the Community Capacity Built Through the Homelessness&Housing Fund(HHF).The full report provides supporting data, organizational examples,client pathways,community investment analysis,and additional documentation regarding the development and impact of the Homelessness&Housing Fund. Salvation Army for emergency shelter and stabilization. If substance use treatment is needed,the individual may transition to Bridge House or another treatment provider for residential treatment and recovery services. Recovery housing, employment assistance, healthcare, case management, and housing navigation can then support continued progress toward permanent housing.No single organization is responsible for every step.Each contributes its expertise while coordinated referrals help maintain continuity. Preventing Family Homelessness A mother with young children facing eviction may first connect with Neighborhood Place of Puna for homelessness prevention, housing stabilization, financial assistance, and family case management. If temporary housing becomes necessary, HOPE Services Hawai`i may provide emergency shelter,supportive housing services,and intensive case management.Other community partners may assist with employment, childcare,healthcare,behavioral health,benefits, and other needs.The objective is not simply to respond after the family becomes homeless.It is to intervene • as early as possible and create a pathway back to long-term stability. THE PROCESS IS FLUID These pathways are illustrative and are not intended to represent a prescribed sequence. Individuals and families may enter the system at different points, receive services from multiple organizations simultaneously, move between levels of care, or re-engage with services as circumstances change. Progress is not always linear. The strength of the system is having multiple coordinated pathways available so that individuals and families can access the.right services, at the right time, based on their circumstances. FROM INVESTMENT TO IMPACT Behind the systemwide numbers are individual lives. One youth who lost his mother and subsequently lost stable housing was connected to supportive services while completing high school. With continued assistance, he graduated, enrolled in college, obtained employment, secured housing, and ultimately became able to sustain that housing independently. That is what community capacity looks like when it reaches an individual. COUNTY INVESTMENT CREATES ADDITIONAL VALUE HHF has also demonstrated that local investment can serve as a catalyst for additional community resources. Instead of replacing State, federal, foundation, insurance, philanthropic, or private funding, HHF strengthened participating organizations' ability to pursue and leverage those resources. County investment helped organizations strengthen financial and reporting systems, ' expand workforce capacity, improve quality and accountability, achieve accreditation, develop third-party billing capacity, establish new programs, and build partnerships that positioned them for additional funding opportunities. This Impact Brief summarizes key findings from the comprehensive 31-page evaluation,Building Hawaii Island's Homelessness Response System:Evaluating the Community Capacity Built Through the Homelessness&Housing Fund(HHF).The full report provides supporting data, organizational examples,client pathways,community investment analysis,and additional documentation regarding the development and impact of the Homelessness&Housing Fund. RETURN ON COMMUNITY INVESTMENT County Investment Capacity Created Community Benefit Housing Shelter,recovery housing,permanent Stronger pathways to housing housing,navigation and stabilization stability Behavioral Health Social detoxification,mental health, Improved crisis response and substance use treatment and recovery recovery Workforce Clinicians,nurses,navigators, case Greater access and service managers, outreach and peer specialists capacity Infrastructure Resource centers,facilities, data systems Community assets extending and service infrastructure beyond a single grant period Organizational Accreditation,billing systems,quality Greater sustainability and Capacity improvement and diversified funding accountability Partnerships Coordinated referrals and cross-sector Improved continuity of care and collaboration additional investment LEVERAGING COUNTY INVESTMENT Participating organizations reported concrete examples of HHF serving as foundational or catalytic investment: • Neighborhood Place of Puna leveraged HHF support to secure a $352,000 Kilauea Recovery Grant, expanding youth programming and community-based prevention services. • Bridge House leveraged organizational infrastructure strengthened through HHF to secure $150,000 in State Act 310 funding, expanding recovery housing and supportive services. • Lokahi Treatment Centers secured additional State funding supporting continued behavioral health services and operational stability. • Going Home Hawai`i expanded recovery housing capacity through additional public and private investment. Other participating organizations reported additional State, federal, foundation, insurance, and private investments that expanded services and strengthened long-term organizational sustainability. County investment served as a catalyst for additional community investment.HHF strengthened organizations so they could leverage new resources, expand services, and build capacity beyond the original County allocation. This is important because County funding is not expected to carry the homelessness response system alone. Its value includes strengthening the local foundation upon which other public and private investment can be built. THE CASE FOR SUSTAINING COMMUNITY CAPACITY The evidence from the first three years of HHF demonstrates that Hawai`i County's investment has produced more than annual program outputs. It has helped build community capacity. Currently,Hawaii Island has expanded housing opportunities,homelessness prevention services, behavioral health and recovery capacity, social detoxification, healthcare integration, family and youth services,a stronger multidisciplinary workforce,improved organizational infrastructure,and more coordinated pathways between providers. These are community assets. The proposed ordinance recognizes that addressing homelessness requires flexibility to invest across the This Impact Brief summarizes key findings from the comprehensive 31-page evaluation,Building Hawai`t Island's Homelessness Response System:Evaluating the Community Capacity Built Through the Homelessness&Housing Fund(HHF).The full report provides supporting data, organizational examples,client pathways,community investment analysis,and additional documentation regarding the development and impact of the Homelessness&Housing Fund. interconnected areas that influence housing stability. The proposed uses of HHF revenue reflect the continuum that has developed through the Fund: • Prevention and Access-Homelessness prevention, outreach, diversion,navigation, and coordinated entry. • Housing:Emergency,transitional, supportive,recovery, and permanent housing. • Treatment and Support:Behavioral health, substance use treatment,healthcare, case management, and supportive services. • Housing Stability:Housing development,preservation,rehabilitation, stabilization, and retention. • Families and Vulnerable Populations: Services for families,youth, and vulnerable or underserved populations. • Community Infrastructure:Facilities, equipment,technology, infrastructure, and other capital improvements. • Leveraging Investment: Partnerships and activities that leverage other public or private funding. The findings documented in the full evaluation demonstrate that these are not theoretical areas of investment. They represent services and infrastructure already contributing to Hawai'i Island's homeless response system. WHY CONTINUITY MATTERS Participating organizations have made significant progress toward sustainability through diversified funding, accreditation, insurance reimbursement, partnerships, and additional public and private investment. However,homelessness response remains fundamentally service based. Emergency shelters do not operate without staff.Housing navigation requires housing navigators. Outreach requires outreach workers. Behavioral health treatment requires clinicians. Recovery programs require trained professionals. Case management requires case managers. Coordinated systems require organizations with sufficient infrastructure to participate in them. Continued County investment therefore does not simply sustain individual nonprofit organizations. It helps sustain the community capacity through which Hawai`i Island prevents homelessness,responds to crisis, and moves individuals and families toward stability. THE LASTING IMPACT Hawai`i Island is better equipped today to prevent homelessness, respond to crisis, stabilize households, and support long-term housing stability than it was before the Homelessness & Housing Fund. The work is not complete. The capacity to continue that work has been built. The proposed continuation of the Homelessness &Housing Fund through June 30, 2029 provides an opportunity for Hawaii County to sustain and build upon that existing capacity while maintaining flexibility to respond to the island's evolving housing,homelessness,behavioral health,healthcare, family,youth, and community needs. This Impact Brief summarizes key findings from the comprehensive 31-page evaluation,Building Hmvai'i Island's Homelessness Response System:Evaluating the Community Capacity Built Through the Homelessness&Housing Fund(HHF).The full report provides supporting data, organizational examples,client pathways,community investment analysis,and additional documentation regarding the development and impact of the Homelessness&Housing Fund