Governor Josh Green, M.D. signed an emergency proclamation on Monday addressing homelessness in Hawaiʻi.
The proclamation seeks to work collaboratively with federal and county agencies on measures to provide relief, and pave a path toward expedited resolution of homelessness in Hawaiʻi.
“As long as we are in a housing crisis, we will treat it like an emergency,”
said Gov. Green in his State of the State Address.
“This emergency proclamationstreamlines the construction process for housing, removing unnecessary red tape, and enables our community partners to tackle homelessness and the housing shortage head-on,” he said.
The intention of the emergency action is to speed construction of the 12 kauhale, or tiny village communities, that Gov. Green cited in todayʻs address.
Green said these kauhale projects will provide shelter for un-housed people with minimal, if any, impact on the environment. He said they can also be built faster than large-scale projects.
Kama‘okū in Kalaeloa provided 37 tiny homes, a commercial kitchen, shared hygiene facilities and close proximity to services for residents. Kama‘okū was built in six months under a similar emergency proclamation, according to the governor.
The emergency relief period will continue through March 20, 2023, unless terminated or superseded by separate proclamation, whichever occurs first.
Original source: https://mauinow.com/2023/01/23/gov-green-issues-emergency-proclamation-addressing-homelessness/