Sixteen projects were selected to receive over $7.5 million in grant funding to address homelessness on Hawai‘i Island.

Last November, the Hawaiʻi County Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD) issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking applications to carry out priorities outlined in the Strategic Roadmap for Homelessness and Housing released in September.

OHCD received thirty-one proposals from twenty-one different community organizations requesting over $25 million. A five-member evaluation committee performed an extensive review process to rank the proposals, and the top sixteen were selected for grants.

Selected initiatives range from permanent supportive housing projects to substance abuse and mental health treatment programs to professional development systems that help build the capacity of the front-line homeless service provider workforce.

In March 2022, the Council passed, and Mayor Roth signed Ordinance 22-26, which appropriated funds to address the pressing issues of homelessness and housing.

Sixty-two percent of the total budget for projects receiving the County grants will be funded by other sources, including from Federal, State, and private entities, optimizing the leverage of local tax dollars to affect a more significant impact. As part of the conditions outlined in the RFP, awarded organizations must submit monthly, quarterly, and final reports on outcomes.

The Legislative Approvals and Acquisitions Committee of the County Council considered a resolution identifying the selected grants on March 7 and forwarded it to the full Council with a favorable recommendation.