Requesting The City And County Of Honolulu And Statewide Office On Homelessness And Housing Solutions To Develop A Coordinated, Place-based Strategic Action Plan To Address Behavioral Health And Homelessness Response Needs On The Waianae Coast.
H.R. 108 is a House Resolution requesting the City and County of Honolulu and the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions to jointly develop a coordinated, place-based strategic action plan for the Waianae Coast. The resolution is focused on the intersection of homelessness and behavioral health, citing increased homelessness on Oahu, the high concentration of homeless individuals in Waianae, and the limited number of shelter programs in the area. It emphasizes that substance use and behavioral health disorders are major drivers of homelessness and should be addressed as part of any local response.
The requested plan would examine emergency call patterns and response times, psychiatric emergency room use, crisis stabilization bed capacity, service gaps, coordination among outreach teams and first responders, and the feasibility of a regional crisis stabilization or triage center. It also asks the agencies to identify any statutory or budgetary changes needed and to consult with community-based providers serving the Waianae Coast. A report with findings, recommendations, and any proposed legislation is due to the Legislature before the 2027 Regular Session.
Because HR 108 is a resolution rather than a bill, it does not directly amend state law or appropriate funds. Its practical effect is to direct attention and request coordinated planning by local and state homelessness and housing entities, with potential downstream implications for future legislation, budget requests, and service delivery models. The resolution specifically contemplates possible statutory or budgetary changes, so it may serve as a precursor to later policy or funding measures affecting homelessness response, behavioral health crisis services, and intergovernmental coordination on Oahu.
The overall sentiment reflected in the resolution is strongly supportive of a coordinated response to a serious local problem. The findings frame the Waianae Coast as an area with acute need, and the measure presents collaboration, data analysis, and service integration as necessary steps to improve outcomes. No committee testimony or vote record is provided, so there is no recorded opposition or formal debate in the available materials.
The main points of contention implied by the text are not about whether the problem exists, but about how best to respond. The resolution highlights potential debate over whether to prioritize a regional crisis stabilization or triage center, how to allocate limited shelter and behavioral health resources, and what statutory or budgetary changes may be necessary. Any disagreement would likely center on funding, siting, agency roles, and the balance between homelessness services, emergency response, and behavioral health treatment, but no specific opposing viewpoints are included in the available record.