Medically vulnerable people experiencing homelessness have a new downtown resource to turn to with the official opening Monday of the Aala Respite on North King Street.

What You Need To Know

  • The facility includes 32 treatment beds, where patients can receive round-the-clock care from an on-site physicians and staff
  • The Honolulu Department of Community Services also installed a kauhale-style housing area in the adjacent parking lot, where people experiencing homelessness can access medical treatment and support in one of 30 private units
  • Purchased by the city late last year for $8.4 million, the property was identified in the Downtown Neighborhood Transit-Oriented Development Plan as a site of critical infrastructure to support upcoming affordable housing and TOD initiatives in Iwilei
  • Aala Respite is managed by physician Scott Miscovich and Premier Medical Group Hawaii on a $4 million contract that runs through June 30, 2025

Situated at the former First Hawaiian Bank Liliha branch, the facility includes 32 treatment beds, where patients can receive round-the-clock care from an on-site physicians and staff. In coordination with the state Office on Homelessness and Housing solutions, the Honolulu Department of Community Services also installed a kauhale-style housing area in the adjacent parking lot, where people experiencing homelessness can access medical treatment and support in one of 30 private units.

“Aala Respite represents a new and innovative approach that has quickly shown promising results in our efforts to ease the pain and suffering of our homeless population,” Blangiardi said. “We continue to evolve our thinking and efforts to help people break the cycle of homelessness.”

Purchased by the city late last year for $8.4 million, the property was identified in the Downtown Neighborhood Transit-Oriented Development Plan as a site of critical infrastructure to support upcoming affordable housing and TOD initiatives in Iwilei. 

The city’s Crisis Outreach Response and Engagement Program is responsible for identifying new patients and coordinating referrals with hospitals. Medical respite care and other wraparound services are being funded by the state.

Aala Respite is managed by physician Scott Miscovich and Premier Medical Group Hawaii on a $4 million contract that runs through June 30, 2025. It began accepting patients in July. As of this week, about 45 patients were receiving care at the facility.

“The respite is serving the homeless that are suffering from many advanced health conditions and are nearing the end of life," Miscovich said. “We all see these individuals on our streets daily, pushing shopping carts or even in wheelchairs, that look like our kupuna. We provide them appropriate, respectful and comprehensive medical care to improve their quality of life and keep them from needing repeated visits to ERs and hospitals.”

In a social media post, Gov. Josh Green called the facility a “fortress of safety and healing in an area that has long struggled with housing instability.”

“With more kauhale units and additional beds coming online, our goal is to cut chronic homelessness in half and offer real solutions to those in need, helping them transition back into society and rebuild their lives,” he posted.

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