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Finance committee forwards $6 million homelessness and housing fund awards after year‑4 presentation
Summary
The Hawaii County Finance Committee heard an Office of Housing presentation on Year 4 recommendations and voted to forward resolution 397-25, recommending 12 grant awards totaling $6,000,000 to eight nonprofits from the Homelessness and Housing Fund; members pressed staff on geographic equity, oversight and allowable costs.
The Hawaii County Finance Committee voted to forward resolution 397-25 — a slate of Year 4 awards from the Homelessness and Housing Fund (HHF) — after a detailed presentation and extended question-and-answer session.
Office of Housing Administrator Kehao Acosta told the committee OHCD developed a year‑4 approach that incorporates consultant recommendations and prior council feedback, and that the HHF began Year 4 with "the total available funds of 12,225,000." Program oversight manager Michelle Hirashii said Office of Housing issued the RFGA on 07/23/2025, received 23 applications requesting $18,386,937, and recommends 12 projects to be administered by eight nonprofit organizations. "We received 23 applications requesting $18,386,937 in funding," Hirashii said, describing a scoring and screening process that weighed feasibility, scalability, geographic distribution and leverage of outside dollars.
Hirashii described the department's budget plan for the fund: about $1,078,000 (8.8%) for administrative and data costs, $5,147,000 reserved for five county-contracted essential services (including expansion of shelters and a permanent supportive housing project in Kona), and $6,000,000 to be awarded through the RFGA process.
Committee members pressed staff on data, geographic equity and program oversight. Councilmember Kaguewata asked where people experiencing homelessness are concentrated; Hirashii and Acosta said the county's engagement Hui and point-in-time counts show higher concentrations in Hilo, while cautioning that outreach coverage varies by area. "The highest concentration tends to be Hilo-side followed by Kona-side," Hirashii said when asked about countywide counts.
Several members raised concerns about shifts in funding from established providers. Councilmember Villegas and others questioned reductions to some awards and whether organizations could be "double dipping" by receiving related line items across applications; staff said applications were reviewed for duplication and that partial funding was used to widen distribution. Hirashii and OHCD contract manager Lisonbee described monthly reporting, announced and unannounced site visits, and a community-of-practice that meets quarterly as oversight and capacity-building measures.
Councilmember Kirkowitz pressed whether the HHF has produced measurable impact, noting the scale of investment versus visible street homelessness. Acosta and Hirashii cited program impacts — expanded shelter beds, meals and the addition of eight detox beds in a prior funding round — while acknowledging longer-term outcomes will require more time and sustained oversight.
On procedural action, the committee moved resolution 397-25 to full council with a favorable recommendation. The clerk recorded eight votes in favor; one sponsor was absent.
What happens next: the resolution and the department’s recommended awards will appear on the full council agenda for final consideration. Council members asked OHCD to provide additional outreach and point-in-time data at the next committee hearing so members can review equity and service coverage before final votes.
