This short film FINDING OHANA was produced by Reel Community Action. The film was shot at a homeless camp in Kapaa, Kauai.
Hawaii may be a dream destination for many non-Natives, but the homelessness crisis is a constant threat for Native Hawaiians. As the cost of living on the islands continues to rise, so does the population of those without housing. If we do not make genuine efforts to stop this crisis, Hawaiian culture may be lost forever. Hawaii is currently one of the states in the US with the highest rates of per capita homelessness, with 44.9 people without housing per 10,000 people. Unhoused Hawaiians face high rates of mental illness, addiction, and PTSD. Therefore, the life expectancy for an individual without housing in the state is 53 years, almost 30 years less than the general population. It is also crucial to note that homelessness disproportionately impacts Native Hawaiians who suffer from the housing crisis in much higher proportions than non-natives. With a constantly booming tourism industry on the Hawaiian islands, one may wonder what is causing the almost 15,000 people to be without housing. The fact that 60% of jobs on the islands pay less than $20 an hour, and 2⁄3 of jobs pay less than $15 an hour, which is why experts estimate that up to half of the Hawaiian citizens are just one to two paychecks away from homelessness.
Despite only accounting for 20% of the population, Native Hawaiians make up half of Hawaii’s homeless population, according to the 2020 Oahu Point-In-Time Count. Natives lost sovereignty over their own land in 1893 and are now facing their removal from the land through tourism and the increased cost of living. They are excluded from economic opportunities and are less able to support themselves and their family on their land. As a result, many Natives are leaving Hawaii. Their inability to sustain life on the islands is not just a threat to a few people’s livelihoods, but it is a threat to the entire culture. Hawaiian culture exists nowhere else; if we continue to allow the government to remove natives from their land, Hawaiian language, cuisine, and values will be forever lost. Adequate and affordable housing can not only save lives, but it can save entire cultures.
Written by: www.thehomemoreproject.org/blog/the-hawaiian-homelessness-crisis