HONOLULU — Gov. Josh Green’s strategy for addressing the state’s homelessness problem with small-scale communal living facilities continues to expand with the opening Thursday of the Paepae Hou kauhale in Kalihi.

What You Need To Know

  • Paepae Hou translates to 'rebuilding a solid foundation' in Hawaiian

  • The kaulahe is available for homeless adults who have completed a detox or residential treatment program to transition into a safe, healthy environment that helps to sustain their recovery and avoid future homelessness

  • While there is no limit to how long residents may stay, the state expects that many will transition to other permanent housing situations

  • The new kauhale is situated in two renovated homes and can accommodate up to 24 people

“It is special to see this particular kauhale, because it’s a little different,” Green said at a blessing ceremony on Thursday. “It’s smack dab in a community, which says, ‘Yes we welcome you; we welcome your capacity to heal,’ with families not so far away. Because after all, in Hawaii, we are, at the most, one degree of separation away from one another, and if we don’t acknowledge that, we’re really fooling ourselves. There is constantly someone in our own family circle that has great need.

“We should lead the country and show them that it can be done,” he said.

The governor said Paepae Hou, which translates to “rebuilding a solid foundation” in Hawaiian, is designed to provide people who are experiencing homelessness and have substance abuse disorders a safe, healing space with access to treatment, peer support and other wrap-around services. It will be operated by the Institute for Human Services. The kauhale is available for homeless adults who have completed a detox or residential treatment program to transition into a safe, healthy environment that helps to sustain their recovery and avoid future homelessness.

While there is no limit to how long residents may stay, the state expects that many will transition to other permanent housing situations. Residents will have access to Medicaid-funded Community Integration Services housing navigator support to obtain and sustain housing.

Joining Green at the blessing were representatives from IHS, as well as state coordinator on homelessness, John Mizuno.

“The people of Kalihi are compassionate, and we will support our people that are in need of supportive housing with a focus on healing, self-sufficiency and securing sustainable employment,” said Mizuno, who represented the district in the state House of Representatives for 17 years before being appointed to his current position by Green late last year. “This is who we are in Kalihi, a caring community that supports uplifting its people.”

The new kauhale is situated in two renovated homes and can accommodate up to 24 people. The governor’s office said the facility cost less than other kauhale because there was existing infrastructure with rooms, showers, restrooms, dining room and office space.

The site also includes an aquaponics and hydroponics system that will allow residents to raise catfish and grow lettuce, eggplant, tomatoes, green onions, okra and squash. The operation, which serves as a workforce development opportunity, is expected to produce 15 pounds of produce per week, which will be used to feed residents. Excess produce will be sold to farmers’ markets, grocery stores and restaurants.

Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at michael.tsai@charter.com.