Yesterday, Governor Josh Green, M.D. signed an emergency proclamation to work collaboratively with federal and county agencies on measures to provide relief to the State’s homeless crisis.

The intention of the emergency action is to speed construction of 12 kauhale, or tiny village communities. The projects are intended to provide shelter for un-housed people with minimal, if any, impact on the environment. They also can be built faster than large-scale projects. Kama‘okū in Kalaeloa, for instance, 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.

During his State of the State Address Governor Green said, “As long as we are in a housing crisis, we will treat it like an emergency. This emergency proclamation streamlines the construction process for housing, removing unnecessary red tape, and enables our community partners to tackle homelessness and the housing shortage head-on.”

The emergency relief period will continue through March 20, 2023, unless terminated or superseded by separate proclamation or whichever occurs first.