The Hauʻula Family Assessment Center opened on July 31 through a partnership between the Hawaiʻi Department of Human Services and the City and County of Honolulu's Department of Community Services. The facility provides temporary shelter and services to help families move toward permanent housing. DHS Director Ryan Yamane said, “By providing virtual connections to public benefits, we can help families to access health coverage, food and financial assistance, all without the burden of traveling long distances,” and Governor Josh Green's Homeless Coordinator, Jun Yang, said, “To every family who will come through these doors, know that you are valued, you are part of this community, and you have a place here,” according to the Hawaiʻi Department of Human Services.
Anton Krucky, representing Mayor Rick Blangiardi, said, “In one year's time we have opened four family shelters, all in partnership with the state.” Scott Morishige of the Hawaiʻi Department of Human Services said the effort was made possible through collaboration.
The Hauʻula Family Assessment Center, managed by Corazon Hawaii, has taken in four families totaling 18 people since opening and can assist up to 24 families in its first year. The center was created in response to rising family homelessness in the Koʻolauloa area, with Oʻahu reporting a 41% increase in homeless families with children and a 47% increase in unsheltered children between 2022 and 2024. It provides shelter, case management, housing navigation, and rapid rehousing services, and is part of a statewide network of Family Assessment Centers that includes facilities in Māʻili and Puna, overseen by the Hawaiʻi Department of Human Services.
