Episode 159: Roy Miyahira on the homeless situation behind Kahauiki Village and a measure known as MH-3

On this week’s episode of the One O‘ahu Podcast, the City’s director of homeless solutions, Roy Miyahira joins host Brandi Higa to discuss an area along the water behind Kahauiki Village, what an MH-3 is and the effect these actions have had on getting people off the streets, as well as talk of other states sending homeless individuals here to Hawai‘i.

Encampments behind Kahauiki Village

After years of failed efforts, action was finally taken to remove squatters and makeshift structures along Kalihi Stream. The encampment, hidden amongst mangroves and kiawe, was encroaching on the nearby Kahauiki Village, a community for formerly homeless families and elderly and disabled individuals.

“They’re extremely pleased, not just with the view, but the fact that they can live peacefully and comfortably in an area and kind of thrive in that area,” added Roy Miyahira.

Altogether, over two dozen floating and land-based homeless structures that occupied the waters behind Kahauiki Village were cleared. These structures were not only creating health issues with the human and animal waste that was being dumped into the water but environmental concerns as well.

MH-3

MH-3 is the City’s mental health crisis and transport program. This program allows the City’s Crisis Outreach Response and Engagement (CORE) team and law enforcement to transport homeless individuals suffering from mental health crises to healthcare facilities rather than a police holding cell.

“I guess the best way to put it is people who are probably a danger to themselves or can endanger others,” explained Miyahira.

At the hospital, individuals can receive professional medical evaluation, treatment, and stabilization services that would not be available in jail.

Homeless individuals returning to the mainland

Hundreds of homeless individuals who aren’t originally from our islands have been helped off the streets and back to their families on the mainland. The Institute for Human Services (HIS), a private non-profit organization, has a reunification program to help mainlanders who wind up homeless in our islands.

“IHS runs this program. I believe we’ve sent back, to a person who’s going to receive them by the way, over 100 people so far,” explained Miyahira.

For more information on IHS and the services they provide, please visit https://ihshawaii.org/

To learn more about the City’s Department of Community Services, please visit https://www.honolulu.gov/dcs/