Hawai‘i Interagency Council on Homelessness

Hawai‘i Interagency Council on Homelessness

The Hawai‘i Interagency Council on Homelessness 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 established in statute through section 346-381, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS), is chaired by the Governor’s Coordinator on Homelessness, and consists of 27 members from federal, state, and local government and the private sector.

The following is a list of HICH members and alternate members:

  • Mr. Jun Yang, Governor’s Coordinator on Homelessness (Chair)
  • Mr. Ryan Yamane, Director of the Department of Human Services
  • Mr. Harold Brackeen III, Administrator of the Homeless Programs Office, Department of Human Services
  • Mr. Kenneth Fink, Director of the Department of Health
  • Mr. Jade Butay, Director of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations
  • Mr. Tommy Johnson, Director of the Department of Public Safety
  • Mr. James Tokioka, Director of the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism
  • Mr. Kali Watson, Chairperson of the Hawaiian Homes Commission
  • Mr. Stephen Logan, Adjutant General
  • Ms. Carmen Hulu Lindsey, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs
  • Ms. Anne Lopez, Attorney General
  • Mr. Keith Hayashi, Superintendent of Education
  • State Representative Darius Kila (Primary) and State Representative Jenna Takenouchi (Alternate)
  • State Senator Joy San Buenaventura (Primary), State Senator Stanley Chang (Alternate)
  • Mr. Hakim Ouansafi, Executive Director of the Hawai’i Public Housing Authority
  • Mayor Rick Blangiardi, City and County of Honolulu
  • Mayor Kimo Alameda, County of Hawai’i
  • Mayor Derek Kawakami, County of Kaua’i
  • Mayor Richard Bissen, 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. Arthur Minor, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Mr. Mark Chandler, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
  • Pastor Amy Wake, Faith-based Representative **Appointed by the Governor**
  • Business Community Representative **Not yet appointed**

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. The Ten-Year Plan is a living document and is reviewed quarterly at the regular meetings of the HICH.