Homelessness and Mental Health
There is a homelessness crisis in Hawai’i, and it has affected Kalihi over the years. It is affecting our working class community members. ALICE (Assets-Limited, Income-Restrained, Employed) households do not qualify for benefits because of their income, but are also not making enough to afford Hawai’i’s high cost of living.
City officials working to mitigate homeless encampment near Kalihi Transit Center
KITV Island News Article by ‘A’ali’i Dukelow | May 8, 2023
Read the complete article Here
"I just want there to be an amicable and humane way to go about this,"
- Amanda Ybanez to KITV 4
“According to Ybanez, the neighborhood board has met with city officials to discuss potential solutions, such as ensuring people who live at the camp receive mental health and substance abuse services, as well as helping them secure important documents they may have lost.”
- KITV 4
Kalihi-Pālama: a 'working-class community' facing challenges and changes
Aloha State Daily Article by Stephanie Salmons | April 28, 2025
Read the complete article Here
What are some of the biggest challenges the community is facing today?
“…Another problem we're facing is the homeless and [unaffordability]. Things are becoming out of reach of people having housing, being able to support themselves for just the basic needs, such as food, water [and] shelter, that's becoming a problem. In fact, it is overwhelming already at this moment, and I think everybody's trying to deal with it in the best way that they can. And fortunately, [it is] very good that we have city and state officials who are on the same page with each other to help to tackle this issue — some of which is the formation of the kauhales [communal villages of tiny homes for the homeless] ... at the same time, not just chasing people from one side of the sidewalk to the next, but being able to have ongoing conversations and outreach with services to provide [to] these people.” -Ybanez
