Homelessness Initiative

The Hawai‘i Interagency Council on Homelessness (HICH) is an advisory body, modeled after the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, that serves as a statewide homelessness planning and policy development entity with broad representation from State and County government and the community.  

The HICH is chaired by the Governor’s Coordinator on Homelessness and consists of 27 members.  The following is a list of HICH members and alternate members as of December 11, 2020:

• Mr. Scott Morishige, Governor’s Coordinator on Homelessness (Chair)
• Ms. Catherine Betts, Director of the Department of Human Services
• Mr. Harold Brackeen III, Administrator of the Homeless Programs Office, Department of Human Services
• Dr. Elizabeth Char, Director of the Department of Health
• Ms. Anne E. Perreira-Eustaquio, Director of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations
• Mr. Max N. Otani, Director of the Department of Public Safety
• Mr. Mike McCartney, Director of the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism
• Mr. William Aila, Chairperson of the Hawaiian Homes Commission
• Major General Kenneth Hara, Adjutant General
• Ms. Carmen Hulu Lindsey, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs
• Ms. Clare Connors, Attorney General
• Dr. Christina Kishimoto, Superintendent of Education
• State Representative Ryan Yamane (Primary) and State Representative Adrian Tam (Alternate)
• State Senator Joy San Buenaventura
• Mr. Hakim Ouansafi, Executive Director of the Hawai’i Public Housing Authority
• Mayor Kirk Caldwell, City and County of Honolulu
• Mayor Mitchell Roth, County of Hawai’i
• Mayor Derek Kawakami, County of Kaua’i
• Mayor Michael Victorino, County of Maui
• Ms. Laura E. Thielen, Continuum of Care for the City and County of Honolulu
• Ms. Brandee Menino, Continuum of Care for the County of Hawai’i
• Ms. Makana Kamibayashi, Continuum of Care for the County of Kaua’i
• Ms. Maude Cumming, Continuum of Care for the County of Maui
• Mr. Andrew Dahlburg, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
• Mr. Mark Chandler, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
• Pastor Daniel Kaneshiro, Faith-based Representative
• Mr. Dave Rolf, Business Community Representative

The HICH developed and adopted the Ten-Year Strategic Plan to End Homelessness, and the State Framework to Address Homelessness.  These documents are consistent with the approach taken by the USICH.  

Read the HICH Plan

HICH Meeting Agenda and Minutes

HICH Reports and Presentations