Hawaii Declares Disaster Emergency Over Homelessness

Hawaii has 7,620 homeless people

Hawaii Gov. Ige has signed a Disaster Emergency Proclamation to deal with the state’s homelessness disaster emergency.

In his Disaster Emergency Proclamation Ige admits that a recent statewide homeless count has highlighted a significant increase in homelessness for the entire State of Hawaii.

“…count of homeless individuals and families throughout Hawaii, estimates the total number of homeless individuals statewide is 7,620… the number of unsheltered homeless individuals is 3,843… the statewide Count estimates that there are 185 unsheltered families, which consist of a total of 439 unsheltered children throughout the state.”

“these unsheltered homeless individuals and families are living on privately owned and public lands, including the streets, public parks, beaches, and elsewhere on each island… these unsheltered homeless individuals and families are without access to portable toilets, bathrooms, showers and clean wate… these unsheltered homeless individuals and families require health and social services in order to maintain themselves safely and in reasonable health,” he said.

The Disaster Emergency Proclamation relief period has already commenced this week, and will last for sixty days, unless terminated by a separate proclamation, whichever occurs first, Ige said.

Full text of the governor’s Proclamation is posted at

Click to access 10.16-EMERGENCY-PROC-HOMELESSNESS-.pdf

Tourism in the Hawaiian Islands

The largest source of private capital into the Hawaiian Islands, tourism contributed at least $11.4 billion in visitor spending and $1 billion in tax revenue last year, according to Hawai’i Tourism Authority (HTA). “The HTA anticipates visitor spending to reach $12.6 billion, with $1.1 billion in tax revenue for 2011, and will work together with the industry to ensure that we continue to build on this positive momentum.”