Should A Pilot Program To Expand Homeless Services In Hawaii Be Extended? … Ohana Zones funding has helped transition 1,100 homeless people into permanent housing.
A mile from the nearest bus stop sits a 500-acre former correctional facility that used to hold incarcerated youth. Young people still make the trek to the complex on the Windward coast of Oahu, but now it’s by choice to escape the streets. Some arrive with luggage, while others show up empty-handed.
The Residential Youth Services and Empowerment, a homeless shelter in Kailua, began providing services to people aged 18 to 24 in 2017 with just enough private funding to maintain 20 beds, a staff of 10 and one outreach worker.
“Our biggest stresses were coming from our success,” Executive Director Carla Houser said. “More young people knew about us, our outreach team was connecting with more young people, and we didn’t have a bed for them because we filled up quickly from the beginning.”
