Tuesday, May 2, 2023

The HBR Board Meeting on May 2 featured a very informative briefing by guest speakers, Roger Morton and Jon Nouchi from the City Transportation Department and Nani Medeiros, the Governor’s Chief of Housing and James Koshiba, the Governor’s Coordinator on Homelessness.

Roger Morton, Director and Jon Nouchi, Deputy Director from the City Transportation Department provided the board with nothing but facts update and went through the timeline of events on the ever-evolving rail system. They talked about the many challenges the Department of Transportation Services (DTS) encountered over the years (and currently) but with their dedication, determination, and perseverance, the Hawaii Rail System is set to begin services.

The City and County of Honolulu announced the grand opening will officially begin interim passenger operations on Friday, June 30, 2023 at 2:00pm, and will be free for the entire opening weekend.

Nani Medeiros, the Governor’s Chief of Housing and James Koshiba, the Governor’s Coordinator on Homelessness talked about the challenges Hawaii faces with two very important topics on Governor Green’s agenda: Housing shortage and Homelessness.

James Koshiba reiterated that the homelessness crisis in Hawaii is a big concern for Governor Green. He elaborated on his experiences through his time spent with the homelessness community-many of which has given up on the system. James talked about “Yes In My Backyard” (YIMBY) , a movement towards affordable, sustainable, and inclusive housing for all kamaʻāina and the dilemma of communities wanting the homelessness population to find homes - but not in their backyard. In January, Governor Green signed an Emergency Proclamation relating to Homelessness to work collaboratively with federal and county agencies on measures to provide relief.

Nani Medeiros addressed Hawaii’s housing shortage and the challenges they face with affordable housing and how it ties into homelessness, reiterating that Hawaii residents are being priced out of being able to own or rent due to the high cost of living. She has been working with business and community leaders, policymakers, and Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp (HHFDC) to address the problems Hawaii is facing. Governor Green’s administration is focused on building more affordable housing in Hawaii.