Issue Position: Homeless

Issue Position

When Representative Kong was the owner of Aiea Florist he let homeless individuals spend the night in his florist. Solving the homeless crisis is a very personal, sincere issue for him, not a political platform.

Despite the state's efforts in providing housing, homelessness continues to rise in Hawaii. According to the Department of Urban Development Hawaii has the highest rate of homeless per capita in the United States. Homelessness is a complex issue with multiple causes.

Representative Sam Kong's goal is to address the homeless situation on Oahu through providing additional housing for homeless individuals and their families. After personally assisting homeless individuals in the Aiea community for the past twenty five years, Representative Kong has made homelessness a priority as an elected official. His plan began with developing a team of government, business and and community leaders who could implement housing solutions. They have identified properties throughout Oahu (City, State, and Federal) for possible development. Their first project is "Under and Upwards," a six acre Department of transportation (DOT) property located under the freeway in Pearl City off of Hugh St. Representative Kong and his team have recently received approval by the Pearl City neighborhood Board to continue with this project.

The second project is the Cedar Church four acre agricultural property located on Waianae Valley Road and will assist existing homeless individuals. The third project is Hoomau Ke Ola, a 1,000-acre parcel which would serve the chronically ill and drug abuse clients; This site is also located in Waianae. The fourth project is a 3 ½ acre federal property in Aiea which will focus on meeting the needs of homeless veterans. The land for these projects have been donated by various entities. The planning and design of the first project has been done by a local architectural firm at minimal cost to the state. The building and operations of the housing will be a public-private endeavor. The specific operational details such as admission criteria will be determined by the local community. Representative Kong is confident that implementing these projects will house homeless individuals and families in a cost conscious manner, and will be of significant benefit to our community.

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