HONOLULU, December 12, 2024 — An innovative new facility will prevent and end homelessness for hundreds of children, parents, and family members annually — opening just in time for the holidays.
Local nonprofit Family Promise of Hawaiʻi unveiled its first ʻOhana Navigation Center today, which combines interim housing — providing emergency shelter for families experiencing homelessness — along with on-site case management, wraparound services, connections to housing resources, and space for community partners and volunteers.
“Every child deserves a home, and we’re excited to launch our new ʻOhana Navigation Center to end homelessness for Hawaiʻi’s most vulnerable families,” said Executive Director Ryan Catalani. “With family homelessness on the rise, this new Center comes at a critical time to provide more children and families with a pathway to stable housing. We’re grateful to our many community partners and supporters who came together to make this project possible.”
Each family receiving shelter has their own room. The Center serves families of any size or composition, including single parents, two-parent families, and multigenerational families, and there is no cost to families for its services. The Center can provide interim housing to up to six families at a time; in total, it will serve an estimated 192 children, parents, and family members annually.
Governor Josh Green, M.D., who has made it a priority to address Hawaiʻi’s urgent homelessness crisis, joined Family Promise of Hawaiʻi for the grand opening.
“What Family Promise does is so special because they care for the whole family,” Governor Green said. “The ʻOhana Navigation Center will truly be transformative for children and families, because stable housing is the foundation for their health and well-being. This project represents an important step toward our shared goal of ending homelessness in our community.”
Governor Green was the recipient of Family Promise of Hawaiʻi’s 2024 Luminary Award and is an Honorary Chair of the nonprofit’s 2025 Brighter Futures Gala.
The need for Family Promise of Hawaiʻi’s services is higher than ever. Family homelessness on Oʻahu increased 19% in the past year, according to the annual Point-in-Time Count organized by Partners in Care, and Family Promise of Hawaiʻi has seen a 44% increase in calls seeking assistance.
Children under age 1 are more likely to experience homelessness than people of any other age, according to federal research, and the new ʻOhana Navigation Center is already serving infants.
The Kiluwe family is one of the first to receive shelter, case management, and wraparound support from Family Proimse of Hawaiʻi at the new Center. Their nearly six-month-old baby has medical conditions, and the ʻOhana Navigation Center is one of the only places where their entire family can remain together and have their own room, providing them with a clean and safe place to get back on their feet.
“I want to thank Family Promise for all the kindness and support,” said the father, Eddie Kiluwe.
Family Promise of Hawaiʻi acquired the ʻOhana Navigation Center property earlier in 2024 for $2.4 million — the first property acquisition in the organization’s history — with funds from the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund, State of Hawaiʻi Grant in Aid, Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation, Nareit Foundation, Atherton Family Foundation, HMSA, G70, and individual members of its Cornerstone Circle and Visionary Circle.
