HCR 116: requesting the City and County of Honolulu and statewide office on homelessness and housing solutions to develop a coordinated, place-based strategic action plan to address behavioral health and homelessness response needs on the waianae coast.

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

requesting the City and County of Honolulu and statewide office on homelessness and housing solutions to develop a coordinated, place-based strategic action plan to address behavioral health and homelessness response needs on the waianae coast.

     WHEREAS, according to the 2024 Point in Time Count, there have been significant increases in the number of homeless individuals and in the number of unsheltered individuals on Oahu since 2023; and

     WHEREAS, of the 4,494 persons experiencing homelessness on Oahu on January 22, 2024, the largest concentration of homeless individuals was on the Waianae Coast, over half of whom were classified as chronically homeless; and

     WHEREAS, despite having the highest concentration of homeless individuals on Oahu, there are only six shelter programs operating in the Waianae Coast region; and

     WHEREAS, behavioral health and substance use disorders are among the leading causes of homelessness for individuals on Oahu and should be a core component of any effort to address homelessness on the Waianae Coast; and

     WHEREAS, developing a unified, intergovernmental plan would ensure shared priorities, improved coordination of services, more efficient use of resources, and better outcomes for individuals experiencing homelessness and behavioral health crises on the Waianae Coast; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, the Senate concurring, that the City and County of Honolulu and Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions are requested to develop a coordinated, place-based strategic action plan to address behavioral health and homelessness response needs on the Waianae coast; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the strategic action plan is requested to include:

     (1)  An analysis of behavioral health related emergency calls and response times;

     (2)  An evaluation of emergency room utilization related to psychiatric crises originating from the Waianae Coast;

     (3)  An assessment of current crisis stabilization bed capacity and diversion resources;

     (4)  Identification of high-need geographic zones and service gaps;

     (5)  An evaluation of coordination between outreach teams, behavioral health providers, and first responders;

     (6)  A feasibility analysis of establishing a regional crisis stabilization or triage center, including potential sites, partnership models, and funding sources; and

     (7)  Identification of statutory or budgetary changes necessary to improve outcomes; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City and County of Honolulu and Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions are requested to engage with community-based service providers serving the Waianae Coast region when developing the strategic action plan; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City and County of Honolulu and Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions are requested to submit a report of their findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2027; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness and Homeless Coordinator for the City and County of Honolulu.

Report Title: 

Waianae Coast; Homelessness; Strategic Action Plan; City and County of Honolulu; Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions