In keeping with a nationwide movement to serve homeless people with mental health and addiction issues with dedicated shelter and services programs, the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) has weighed in with support for House Bill 2309, authorizing a new homeless triage center within the DOH Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division.

It’s sorely needed: among nearly 3,000 homeless people surveyed by Partners in Care in 2023, 31% reported substance use problems and 39% reported mental illness. A new triage center would add to the beds offered by the Institute for Human Services’ ’Imi Ola Piha Homeless Triage Center, which opened in June.