HLTA’s inaugural Homelessness Committee meeting features presentations by Scott Morishige, State of Hawaii, and Kimo Carvalho, The Institute for Human Services

Scott Morishige, the State’s Homelessness Coordinator

Kimo Carvalho, Director of Community Relations at The Institute for Human Services

On December 4th the Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association’s Homelessness Committee held its inaugural meeting at the Waikiki Business Plaza.  Members of HLTA’s homelessness committee (sub-committee of the Government Affairs Committee) alongside service providers, community members, and government officials sat together to discuss issues surrounding Hawaii’s homelessness problem.  During this meeting we had the privilege of speaking with Mr. Scott Morishige, the State’s Homelessness Coordinator, and Mr. Kimo Carvalho,  Director of Community Relations – The Institute for Human Services.
At this meeting we were able to assess the current status of the homelessness issue and address both progress and areas of concern from the private sector, the non-profits, the community, the City and County of Honolulu, and the State of Hawaii.  Two notable areas of progress came from Mr. Carvalho from the IHS as he gave an update on the monies allocated to Maui Island’s, Maui Family Life Center, from the partnership between the IHS and HLTA, and the arrival of a mobile employment center in Waikiki slated for January of 2016.
With the formation of the Homelessness Committee it is our goal to keep the issue of homelessness as a top priority and to engage stakeholders from all sectors in the conversation.