Help leaving homelessness in Hawaii
We've found 13 places in Hawaii for people leaving homelessness, mostly in Honolulu, Hilo and Kahului, and 8 that serve the whole state. Our volunteers haven't confirmed these yet, so a quick call ahead is worth it. Most of them help with shelter & housing (6), benefits & cash (6) and health & medication (5).
Places in Hawaii
AUW 211 Hawaii
Hawaii's only statewide information and referral line, with a database of more than 1,400 agencies and 4,000 programs. Specialists help with shelter, food, rent and utility aid, SNAP prescreening, DV, mental health and legal referrals on every island.
Hale Kipa
Youth-serving agency with ten shelters across the islands. Kauhale Opio on Oahu houses unsheltered young adults 18–24, Hale Huliau in Kona houses 18–21, and a Housing First voucher program with case management helps homeless youth secure city housing. Pu'uhonua emergency shelters for ages 12–17 take CWS referrals only.
Office of Community Services
State office that administers federal Refugee Resettlement Assistance (ORR) funds along with CSBG, TEFAP and LIHEAP. It contracts with nonprofits rather than serving clients directly; call to learn which agency holds the current refugee services contract.
Pacific Gateway Center
Honolulu resettlement and immigrant services agency founded in 1973, affiliated with USCRI and CLINIC. Provides accredited immigration legal help, housing navigation, health access, job training, ESL and a Hawaii Language Bank for interpretation. Also serves survivors of trafficking and asylum seekers.
Hawaii Health & Harm Reduction Center
Drop-in harm reduction and clinical agency downtown. Buprenorphine, syringe exchange, naloxone, wound care, hepatitis and HIV testing, hormone therapy, HIV case management and help enrolling in health insurance, with a focus on people affected by substance use, homelessness and the transgender and Native Hawaiian communities.
Legal Aid Society of Hawaii
Free civil legal help for low-income residents statewide: landlord-tenant and eviction, family law and protective orders, domestic violence, human trafficking, public benefits, and immigration through the Hawaii Immigrant Justice Center. Offices in Honolulu, Hilo, Kona, Wailuku, Lihue, Molokai and Lanai, but no walk-in intake.
HOPE Services Hawaii
Hawaii Island's homeless services agency, running Keolahou men's shelter, Hale Maluhia women's and couples shelter, Kihei Pua family shelter, a kupuna shelter, West Hawaii emergency housing, medical respite, street medicine and eviction prevention. You must register with their team before being admitted to any shelter.
Family Life Center
Kahului-based agency serving Maui, Molokai and Kauai with street outreach, emergency shelter (Hoolanani and Wahi Hoomalu o Wailuku), the Ohana Hope Village, rental and deposit assistance and homelessness prevention. Apply for shelter or housing help through the online application.
Ka Hale A Ke Ola Homeless Resource Centers
Maui's long-running housing-focused shelter campus in Wailuku, with emergency shelter for families and singles, meals, case management, life skills classes, an on-site primary care clinic and child care. The Lahaina Westside Center was lost in the 2023 fires and remains closed.
Office of Health Status Monitoring, Vital Records
Where to get a certified Hawaii birth certificate, needed for a state ID, benefits and employment. Order online statewide or visit the Oahu office at City Financial Tower; neighbor island residents go through their District Health Office. Divorce records are no longer held here as of February 2026.
State ID and Driver's License
Oahu's driver licensing centers issue the Hawaii state ID card ($40, valid eight years) by appointment through AlohaQ. Bring originals or certified copies proving legal presence, legal name, date of birth and residential address; a temporary paper ID is issued and the card is mailed in four to five weeks.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Hawaii's food stamp program. Apply online, by mail or by dropping a paper form at a processing center; DHS then schedules an interview. Gross income limit is 130% of poverty (200% under broad-based categorical eligibility), with a $1,989 monthly limit for one person as of October 2026.
Med-QUEST (Hawaii Medicaid)
Hawaii's Medicaid program, called QUEST Integration. Apply through the KOLEA online eligibility portal, then choose a health plan. Covers medical, behavioral health and substance use treatment for low-income adults and children.
National lines that work in Hawaii
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call or text 988 for any mental health or substance use crisis. Available to anyone in any program.
Lifeline free phone program
Free or discounted phone and service for people on Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, or low income. Apply online or through a carrier.