IWILEI, Hawaii (KHON2) — Honolulu’s top leaders gathered at Oahu’s newest traditional housing project on Thursday, Feb. 27.

Governor Josh Green and Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said the project will help with mental healing and address the root cause of homelessness.

Iwilei’s Kumu Ola Hou Transitional Shelter has 13 housing units and will prioritize brain and behavioral health by giving tenants a quiet place to heal.

Institute for Human Services Executive Director Connie Mitchell said the main goal was to create a safe and welcoming place where people can feel valued.

“I’m telling you in a moment of pride and in a moment of confidence about the difference this is going to make,” said Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi. “And I hope that you’ll understand that because that’s what we’re into, is really making a difference.”

The facility is thanks to a partnership between the City and County of Honolulu and the State. The City owns the building and the State will fund the management.

“It’s very hard to break that cycle with just little short bursts of support, so we will have a lot more healthcare here,” said Gov. Josh Green. “There’s lots of security and safety here and we thank the Mayor for investing in this enormous building. We’re just doing our small part as a state.”

The transitional shelter comes during a transition time for the state as well.

Jun Yang was named State Homeless Coordinator on Wednesday, Feb. 26, replacing John Mizuno who has moved to the Department of Transportation to reunite homeless individuals with their loved ones nationwide.

Mizuno replaced James Koshiba who was there for about a year.

“John is still with us, James is still dear to us, and needless to say, Jun is full go because we have several kauhale coming,” Gov. Green added.

The City said they have big plans to tackle the homeless issue, from adding additional beds to shelter units in the neighborhood. All are scheduled to open in summer 2025.

“I want to be as aggressive as we can in tackling our homeless challenge because the suffering that’s out there is too much for any of us really to stand and for that matter to tolerate,” said Blangiardi. “We’re too good of people to let people suffer around us like this.”

The temporary facility opens on Monday, March 3. The building will eventually become affordable housing, scheduled to break ground in 2028.