Hawaii Neighbor Island Homeless Count Edges Down, But Maui Surge and Veteran Numbers Raise Concerns
Why It Matters
Hawaii’s homeless population on the neighbor islands showed a modest overall decline, but new Point-in-Time Count data released this week reveals deeply uneven trends across counties — including a sharp rise in unsheltered residents on Maui and a surge in homeless veterans statewide. The results carry direct implications for federal funding eligibility and the allocation of housing and social services resources across the islands.
What Happened
Over six days in January, volunteers and nonprofit workers fanned out across Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi, and Maui counties, reaching remote lava fields, dense brush, hidden gulches, and rugged coastline to count people sleeping in shelters, transitional housing, vehicles, tents, and other unsheltered conditions. The count, conducted on the night of January 25, identified a total of 1,863 people across the three counties — a roughly 2% decrease from the previous full count conducted in 2024.
This was the first complete accounting of the neighbor island homeless population in two years. The previous year’s effort was scaled back to shelter residents only, and the count was suspended entirely in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Federal rules require a full count at least once every two years for counties to remain eligible for federal homelessness funding.
Results for Oʻahu are expected to be released separately on May 20.
By the Numbers
1,863 — total people identified as homeless across Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi, and Maui counties in January 2026, down approximately 2% from 2024.
40% — increase in unsheltered homelessness in Maui County compared to the 2024 count. Nearly 400 people were sleeping outdoors or in vehicles in Maui on the night of the count, while shelter utilization fell significantly — dropping by 116 people from 2024 levels.
88 veterans were identified as homeless across the three counties, a nearly 20% increase from 2024. Of those, 70 were unsheltered. Maui recorded a 53% jump in unsheltered veteran homelessness, the steepest increase of any county.
Nearly 500 unsheltered individuals with serious mental illness were counted across the three counties — an 18% increase from 2018, though still below the 2023 peak of 619.
40% decrease in family homelessness since 2018, though more than 120 families — including 38 unsheltered families with 76 children — were still without stable housing on the night of the count.
Troubling Trends Beneath the Headline Decline
While the overall 2% dip drew a cautiously positive response from organizations working on homelessness issues, the data paints a more complicated picture at the county level. Kauaʻi County has the highest share of unsheltered homeless, with well over three-quarters of its homeless population sleeping outside or in vehicles. The Big Island’s unsheltered share stands at roughly two-thirds, while Maui’s is approximately 60% — a figure that has grown as shelter usage has declined.
The drop in Maui shelter utilization is particularly notable, though the reasons behind it remain unclear. Hawaiʻi and Kauaʻi counties moved in the opposite direction, with more residents seeking out shelter beds.
Families who became homeless cited eviction, unaffordable rent, and family conflict as contributing factors. Most indicated that financial assistance and help navigating the housing system would be the most effective interventions for stabilizing their situations.
In Kauaʻi County, the number of children experiencing homelessness — whether in shelters, cars, or elsewhere — exceeded 73, more than double a low of 35 recorded in 2022.
Zoom Out
Hawaii has long faced some of the highest per-capita homelessness rates in the nation, driven in large part by an acute shortage of affordable housing. High housing costs have pushed many Hawaii residents into increasingly difficult choices, and demographic pressures are expected to intensify the problem. Projections show the state will need an estimated 60,000 additional housing units by 2050 just to keep pace with an aging population and continued demand.
Nationally, veteran homelessness has been a persistent policy concern, with federal programs through the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the VA providing targeted assistance. The rise in unsheltered veterans on Maui — with no veterans counted in transitional housing on the night of the survey — points to a gap between available resources and those being reached.
What’s Next
Oʻahu results, expected May 20, will complete the statewide picture and are likely to draw significant attention given that Honolulu has historically accounted for the largest share of Hawaii’s total homeless population. Bridging The Gap, the nonprofit coalition overseeing the neighbor island count, said the long-term decline in family homelessness demonstrates that sustained, targeted efforts can produce measurable results — though officials acknowledge that gains in some areas are being offset by deteriorating conditions in others.