HONOLULU — Governor Josh Green joined the Hawaiʻi Health and Harm Reduction Center (H3RC) and state and community partners today to celebrate the blessing and completion of Hoʻokahi Leo Kauhale Phase Two, marking the full build-out of the kauhale village in Kalihi.
Originally developed to provide housing for residents transitioning from the former Sand Island and Kakaʻako encampments, Hoʻokahi Leo has evolved into a permanent, service-enriched community that combines deeply affordable housing with healthcare, behavioral health services, peer support, workforce opportunities and shared community spaces.
The completion of Phase Two adds 30 deeply affordable homes and new communal facilities to the original 20-home village, reflecting the continued evolution of the Governor’s Kauhale Initiative and Hawaiʻi’s housing-first approach to addressing chronic homelessness.
“Hoʻokahi Leo represents what is possible when we recognize that housing is healthcare,” said Governor Green. “When people have a stable place to live, surrounded by supportive services and a community that cares for them, they become healthier, spend less time relying on emergency systems and have the opportunity to rebuild their lives. Kauhale like Hoʻokahi Leo improve lives while making smarter use of our public resources and they demonstrate how investing in housing strengthens Hawaiʻi.”
The project reflects the collaborative public-private development model that has become a hallmark of the Kauhale Initiative.
“Hoʻokahi Leo demonstrates what strong public-private partnerships can accomplish. The government provides the vision and investment; nonprofit organizations bring innovation and community expertise; and private industry helps deliver projects more efficiently. Together, we’ve created a development model that is unique to Hawaiʻi,” said Jun Yang, director of the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions.
Today, the Kauhale Initiative includes 26 completed communities statewide that provide deeply affordable housing and supportive services, while reducing reliance on costly emergency healthcare, justice and crisis response systems.
H3RC continues to serve as the site’s operating partner, using a low-barrier, harm-reduction approach that connects residents with healthcare, mental health support, employment opportunities and a meaningful role in shaping the community. For H3RC, the success of Hoʻokahi Leo is measured not only by the homes that were built, but by the lives that continue to be transformed after residents move in.
“For many residents, Hoʻokahi Leo represents far more than housing. It provides the stability that makes healing possible. They have access to healthcare, behavioral health services, peer support, case management and workforce opportunities in one trusted community,” said H3RC Executive Director Heather Lusk.
The opening of Hoʻokahi Leo Phase Two reflects the continued partnership between the state of Hawaiʻi, HomeAid Hawaiʻi, H3RC, construction partners and community volunteers, working together to expand deeply affordable housing statewide. HomeAid Hawaiʻi has partnered with the state on 11 completed kauhale communities, helping support the delivery of permanent, deeply affordable housing as the initiative has expanded across Hawaiʻi.
As Hawaiʻi continues to embrace the Kauhale Initiative, projects like Hoʻokahi Leo demonstrate how state leadership, community partnerships and supportive services can work together to improve health outcomes, strengthen neighborhoods and create lasting pathways out of homelessness.
