With Downtown/Chinatown neighbors and businesses loudly demanding solutions for chronic homeless individuals with mental health issues contributing to unsafe conditions, it was gratifying to celebrate HPD’s new outreach partnership with health care professionals on June 28, 2018.
Spearheaded by HPD’s District 1 Community Policing Team with grants from Queen’s Medical Center, HMSA and Island Hospice, the Joint Outreach Center is a community space that provides housing, social services, and healthcare providers a safe place to offer free services for homeless individuals. By offering these services in one place, homeles individuals utilizing the facility for medical care also receive mental health counseling and housing services, which helps mentally ill homeless individuals obtain help and reduce incidents of criminal activity/harassment for Chinatown businesses and residents. Since its services began, over 172 clients have used its treatment services, and it is already outgrowing its clinic space.
Please contact Doris Lam of my staff at 768-5074 or at dlam1@honolulu.gov if you would like more information on the new Joint Outreach Center or any of the other homeless initiatives listed.
