A bill at the state Legislature would create a three-year pilot program at the Department of Human Services to help people experiencing homelessness return to the continent, or other parts of the state, to rejoin their families.
House Bill 1366 was approved by the Senate Ways and Means Committee last week with some changes. It will go to the full Senate floor sometime this week.
The measure copies a program from the Hawaiʻi Lodging and Tourism Association, which partners with nonprofits such as the Institute for Human Services.
IHS reports that it has helped relocate more than 600 people from Oʻahu in the last eight years.
It costs them an average of $1,000 per person to house and relocate.
In comparison, the nonprofit estimates it would cost taxpayers between $35,000 and $1 million to help chronically homeless individuals based on their needs.
In order for an individual to return home, caseworkers have to connect with the person's family to ensure there is a support system upon arrival.
