Council orders performance audit of county housing-and-homelessness fund

The Hawaii County Council approved Resolution 445-26 on Feb. 4, 2026, asking the county auditor to perform a performance audit of real property tax revenues appropriated for housing and homelessness and to evaluate effectiveness, data indicators and compliance with county code.

Council member Kimball, a sponsor, said the audit will provide information and data to assist the council in making informed budgetary and policy decisions. "I've been impressed with the administration's improvements to how the funding is being directed," she said, and called the audit a useful tool to assess program performance.

Council debate highlighted that the audit should examine both people helped out of homelessness and those who were prevented from becoming homeless by the fund. Council member Villegas asked the auditor and staff to confirm whether the audit would include nonprofit subrecipients and the depth of review into how funds were spent; sponsors pointed to language in the resolution calling for a comprehensive review of Office of Housing & Community Development and nonprofit use of funds.

The motion to approve the resolution carried; the clerk recorded the vote as 8 ayes, 1 excused. The resolution’s scope, as read into the record, includes the Office of Housing & Community Development strategic roadmap and compliance with the county nonprofit grant code.

Next steps: The county auditor will scope the audit and report back to council with findings and recommendations to inform future funding and policy choices.