Hawaii’s Continuums of Care will forgo this year’s unsheltered Point in Time Count — a key measure of homelessness conducted annually since 2012, except in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic — though the sheltered count will proceed as planned.
Partners in Care, in collaboration with the neighbor islands’ Continuums of Care known as Bridging the Gap — which represents Kauai, Maui and Hawaii counties — will report the number of people staying in homeless shelters across the state to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development based on data from the night of Jan. 22.
According to Partners in Care, all shelter data in the Homeless Management Information System must be updated by Feb. 10.
Shelter programs not utilizing HMIS are encouraged to contact the organization directly to ensure inclusion in the 2025 Point in Time Count.
The U.S. HUD requires CoCs to conduct a Point in Time Count of people experiencing homelessness at least every two years.
PIC told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that following discussions with BTG, the coalition decided not to conduct an unsheltered PIT count this year.
Since an unsheltered count was conducted in 2024 and HUD does not mandate an annual count, PIC opted to align its approach with BTG to maintain consistency in the data.
“We did one last year; it was quite a bit of work, and so we opted not to do it this year,” Maude Cumming, former BTG chair and Maui Homeless Alliance CoC chair, told the Star-Advertiser. “Our daily work is captured in the HMIS system that is mandated. Information is entered in real time; we are required to put in information within 72 hours, so if there is a need for current data, it is always available.
“Our board decided to skip (the unsheltered Point in Time Count) this year because information is available, and we are not required to do it every year. The sheltered count is required every year, but we do it on a regular basis anyway because we have to enter the information on a daily basis, so it can be pulled at any time.”
Cumming assured the public that while the Point in Time Count is conducted specifically for the U.S. HUD data on a single night each year, the CoCs regularly collect similar information under different processes.
She emphasized that all data is readily available through the HMIS system, which is accessible to the public.
“In fact, I think that the information on the HMIS system is more accurate because it’s not a one-time point in time. You can do comparisons from year to year, comparisons between different organizations and different islands, and it’s tracked over years,” Cumming said.
In recent years, Cumming said, the CoCs have been focused on updating the HMIS system to ensure the information is current and timely, allowing people to access not only the most recent data, but also information from the previous month, rather than relying on the prior year’s figures.
The HMIS system displays data on Active Street Outreach Clients, with options to filter by state Senate district or state House district.
Users can view specific data for each county, district or project undertaken by an organization. Additionally, there is an option to filter the data to see the number of homeless people who identify as Native Hawaiian.
The system also includes a map that pinpoints where outreach encounters between organizations and homeless people have occurred. It provides a breakdown of street outreach client populations, including total households, family households, chronic households, veteran households, youth households, total individuals, family individuals and adults.
To enhance understanding, the system offers graphs and visuals, such as the number of clients with disabling conditions, which are further categorized into substance use, mental health, developmental or physical disabilities or chronic health conditions.
Anton Krucky, director of the city’s Department of Community Services, said the city is working on developing a new command center that will provide an ongoing count of homelessness, distinct from the Point in Time Count.
The system, similar to the HMIS but operated by the city, aims to track the locations of homeless people and encampments, as well as the profiles of those in these encampments. It will also include data on the availability and location of shelter beds.
Krucky noted that while the city has collaborated on several projects with the state that are not driven by HUD guidelines, it continues to work with other organizations and coalitions to assess the broader homelessness issue and explore various solutions.
“A lot of the information is already on the HMIS system, but that’s just for the service providers,” Krucky said. “We’ve built all these new kauhale, and we’ve added almost a thousand bed uses into the system in the last year.”
Gov. Josh Green’s coordinator on homelessness, John Mizuno, stated that the authority to conduct the Point in Time Count lies with both PIC on Oahu and BTG on the neighbor islands, with the state having no control over whether the count is conducted.
“2024 showed that 6,389 people experienced homelessness statewide, and if we’re just looking at Oahu, where the majority of homelessness was, we’re looking at 4,494,” Mizuno said. “Homelessness is a major issue and a top priority to address under the Green administration.
“With or without the Point in Time Count, we just have to move forward and be robust in our efforts to address homelessness.”
Within the past year the state has opened or provided funding for 17 kauhale, accounting for 760 beds for the homeless. Green told the Star-Advertiser he expects to see “so many more on the way.”
“Jaime and I, along with our team, have been focused on kauhale that are helping kupuna, people with disabilities and veterans, as well as prioritizing domestic violence survivors and youth,” Green said. “These vulnerable groups need very special attention and great care is being taken to provide appropriate housing and the necessary wrap-around support services that specifically can help these valuable members of our community.
“Housing is health care and with the help and collaboration from our partnerships, we will be saving so many more lives.”
Green’s office listed the 17 kauhale as follows:
w Kahauiki Village: Operator IHS, serving homeless families
w Kamaoku Kauhale: Operator US Vets, serving veterans and adults
w Hui Mahi‘ai Aina: Operator Auntie Blanche, serving homeless families
w Punawai Rest Stop: Operator Mental Health Kokua, serving adults
w H4 Punawai Medical Respite: Operator Kalihi Palama Health Center, serving adults
w Waikiki Vista: Operator Catholic Charities, serving homeless families
w Hookahi Leo Kauhale: Operator HHHRC, serving adults
w Paepae Hou Kauhale: Operator IHS, serving detox adults
w Iwilei Resource Center: Operator DOH Crisis Center, providing emergency crisis mental health services
w Aala Respite: Operator Dr. Scott Miscovich, offering medical respite
w Village of Redemption: Operator IHS, serving men’s reentry
w Ka Malu Koolau: Operator Project Vision, serving adults
w Apapane Campus: Operator RYSE, serving homeless youth
w Hawaii Cedar Church: Operator Mental Health Kokua, serving kupuna
w Puuhonua o Nene: Operator Project Vision &Homeaid, serving adults
w Salvation Army Hawaii island
w Alana Ola Pono Kauhale: Operator IHS, serving adults, youth, couples and mainlanders
A new kauhale — Iwilei Center — is set to open in Iwilei, providing a 100-bed unit that will be operated by IHS and Mental Health Kokua, with an opening scheduled for early February.
The state also has partnered with the city to launch a first-of-its-kind diversionary kauhale that aims to offer an alternative to prison for people charged with nonviolent petty misdemeanors. Instead of incarceration, eligible people will be able to participate in the diversionary program, where they can receive medication to stabilize and ground themselves, with long-term support for permanent housing and employment.
“This is much better time spent than going to jail for six months,” Mizuno said.
The contract for the program is set to take effect March 1.
