HONOLULU — Hawaii lawmakers set aside more money to tackle the highest rate of homelessness in the nation — a crisis that has left families with children living on sidewalks alongside the beaches of paradise.
The Legislature allocated $12 million in new funding during the session that ended Thursday.
It will go toward social services and clearing out homeless encampments.
The amount surpassed Gov. David Ige’s funding request and added to the more than $15 million the state already spends annually to address the problem.
“This is the largest infusion of operating money for homelessness in at least the last 10 years, at a minimum, if not longer,” said Wes Machida, the state’s finance director.
Hawaii has an estimated 7,620 homeless people, with the number of unsheltered families growing nearly 50 percent from 2014 to 2015.
The crisis has received increasing attention over the past year, after Honolulu banned sitting and lying down in the tourism mecca of Waikiki, and families with toddlers sought shelter in a homeless encampment not far from the Hawaii Capitol.
“We understand there’s no silver bullet, and we are looking at multiple approaches to tackling a very difficult issue that is facing our community,” said Senate Ways and Means Chairman Jill Tokuda.
Ige said he plans to spend the $12 million and other funding from the Legislature on three areas: developing permanent, affordable housing; providing health and human services for the homeless; and ensuring that public areas remain public through enforcement.