Requesting The Governor's Coordinator On Homelessness And The City And County Of Honolulu To Establish A Two-year Homelessness Sanctuary Pilot Program To Provide A Safe Location On Public Land For Homeless Individuals And Families To Reside And Access Services.
H.R. 88 is a House Resolution requesting the Governor’s Coordinator on Homelessness and the City and County of Honolulu to create a two-year homelessness sanctuary pilot program on public land. The resolution envisions a designated site where homeless individuals and families can live safely while accessing basic services, including shelter, restrooms, showers, storage, laundry, waste disposal, meals, and support from partner organizations. It also contemplates allowing residents to bring pets, park and sleep in vehicles, and use additional tents as needed.
The resolution further directs the coordinator to identify a site by November 1, 2025, open the program by January 1, 2026, and survey residents about additional needs such as job training, education, child care, transportation, and gardening. It asks for annual reporting to the Legislature in 2026, 2027, and 2028 on implementation, participation, effectiveness, and whether the pilot should become permanent. The program is intended to end on December 31, 2027, unless future action is taken.
Because H.R. 88 is a resolution rather than a bill, it does not directly amend Hawaii statutes or create enforceable legal obligations. Instead, it expresses the Legislature’s request that state and county officials identify public land, coordinate services, contract with nonprofit and faith-based partners, and operate a pilot homelessness sanctuary program. The resolution could influence agency priorities, intergovernmental coordination, and future appropriations or legislation if the pilot is pursued or later made permanent.
The overall sentiment reflected in the resolution is strongly supportive of a service-based, immediate-response approach to homelessness, especially on Oahu. The findings emphasize the need for safe, stable places for unsheltered individuals and families and frame the pilot as a practical way to connect residents with treatment, social services, and pathways out of homelessness. No committee transcript or vote record is provided, so there is no recorded debate or formal vote sentiment to assess beyond the resolution’s supportive tone.
The text itself suggests several likely points of contention, even though no discussion transcript is available. Potential concerns include the use of public land, the feasibility and cost of building and operating the site, and whether a sanctuary model is the best policy response to homelessness. The resolution also anticipates environmental concerns by directing agencies to minimize impacts on nearshore resources such as corals, reef fish, and seabirds, which could be a point of scrutiny if a site is proposed near sensitive areas. Additional tension may arise over the proposed zero-tolerance policy for drugs, violence, and obscenities, as well as the balance between providing low-barrier shelter and maintaining order at the site.