Hawai‘i is in the middle of a quiet but historic shift in how the state tackles housing and homelessness. For years, the system largely followed a familiar federal pattern: build shelters and affordable housing, then rely on rental vouchers to help people afford it. Too often, that meant long waits and limited openings, leaving many people stuck in line instead of placed in homes.
That approach is changing.
In the last two and a half years, the state reports adding 918 new beds to its deeply affordable housing inventory and investing more than $100 million in projects designed to move people from the streets into housing. Before this administration, Hawai‘i had two kauhale communities. Today there are 24, with Waimānalo scheduled for early 2026, bringing the total to 25. Collectively, these villages have served more than 2,000 people.
To understand the scale of the transformation, Jun Yang from the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions explains the long-term vision, including the state’s stated goal of reaching 30 kauhale by the end of 2026.
This shift lines up with what voters have been asking for. Every major survey says the same thing: Hawai‘i wants housing that real people can actually afford. Communities like Alana Ola Pono Kauhale (Iwilei) and Ka Malu Ko‘olau Kauhale (Kāneʻohe) now offer units between $150 and $400 a month, a price point that lets residents save, work, and stabilize. As one resident shared recently, “It is the first time in years I can think about next month instead of next hour.”
Behind these results is a partnership model that focuses on speed and cost efficiency. HomeAid Hawai‘i has developed 6 of the 24 projects and built homes for 2 others, generating $36.6 million in cost savings. That is not a small figure. It is the difference between building a handful of units and delivering deeply affordable homes at a scale Hawai‘i has never seen. The statewide impact is even larger. Kauhale communities save the state an estimated $27.5 million every year in avoided costs across health care, emergency services, the courts, and public safety.
Alana Ola Pono Kauhale illustrates the value clearly. A similar project in the private sector would have cost at least $22 million. Instead, the state delivered it for $7.7 million, a nearly $14.5 million savings. It took six months to construct, rather than the 18 to 24 months typical for a mid-size project, and cost $172 per square foot, compared to the $205 to $455 per square foot range for traditional affordable rentals. In less than a year, it helped more than 66 people transition into permanent housing.
Connie Mitchell of The Institute of Human Services (IHS), which operates Alana Ola Pono Kauhale, describes the difference this model has made for residents and why kauhale have become one of the state’s most effective housing interventions.
Hawai‘i does not just need shelters. Hawai‘i needs housing at every income level.
For the first time since the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions was created in 2010, the state is prioritizing actual housing development. Kauhale now build in 3 to 6 months, not 18 to 30, and at $85 to $359 per square foot, instead of $205 to $455. As of this year, 918 beds are active statewide, with another 495 beds in the pipeline.
But the heart of this work goes beyond numbers. Homelessness can dramatically shorten a person’s life by up to 30 years. Kauhale communities counter that with connection. When homes face each other and people share kitchens, laundry rooms, and gathering spaces, relationships form. “If housing is healthcare,” says Kimo Carvalho, “then our culture is the medicine.” It shows up in everyday moments. Someone sharing a pan of food. Someone helping with laundry. Someone remembering what it feels like to belong.
This sense of connection is exactly what site operators are seeing on the ground. At Ka Malu Ko‘olau Kauhale, Darrah Kauhane of Project Vision Hawai‘i shares how the kauhale model creates safety and stability, and how shared community spaces are supporting real gains in wellness and independence.
None of this progress would be possible without strong state leadership and the Governor’s Emergency Proclamation on Homelessness, which has allowed Hawai‘i to deliver homes that our most vulnerable people can afford today, not years from now. HomeAid Hawai‘i is proud to support this vision and to continue building communities that restore dignity for kūpuna, working residents, young adults, medically fragile individuals, and those who are recovering from crisis.
