Eden Plan Hawaii
Core Challenges faced by vulnerable populations
Housing Insecurity: The Foundation of Instability
Housing is not just shelter; it is the essential foundation for stability, health, and a successful transition to independence. For the youth we serve, housing insecurity is a major systemic failure that creates a vicious cycle of trauma, addiction, and justice system involvement.
The Hawaiʻi Crisis
-
Substance Use and Crime: Youth in Hawaiʻi who self-report substance use are consistently more likely to be involved with violence and the justice system. Unstable housing accelerates this risk.
-
Exiting the System: Youth aging out of the foster care system face a disproportionately high risk of housing instability. A University of Hawaiʻi study found that former foster youth experiencing homelessness were significantly more likely to engage in methamphetamine use when they had a higher number of foster care placements.
-
Methamphetamine Crisis: Homelessness dramatically amplifies the risk of addiction. On Hawaiʻi Island, studies show that of the unhoused community surveyed, an overwhelming 74% had methamphetamine addiction and 86% reported lifetime meth use.
-
Racial Disparities: The crisis is compounded by systemic disparities. Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander youth are overrepresented at every stage of the justice system and make up a staggering percentage of homeless minors and young adults in the state.
Providing stable, safe housing is the most critical upstream solution to break this cycle, allowing our residents to focus on healing trauma and building the skills necessary to lead healthy, self-sufficient lives.
Food Insecurity: A Constant Crisis
Food insecurity—the lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life—is inseparable from housing insecurity.
​
-
Nutritional Deficiency: It’s not just about hunger; it’s about a lack of nutritious food. Unhoused youth often rely on low-cost, calorie-dense but nutrient-poor food, leading to long-term health issues and difficulty concentrating.
-
Barriers to Access: Even when programs exist, youth face major barriers:
-
Stigma: Fear of being judged when seeking help at food banks or meal programs.
-
Access: Lack of reliable transportation or inability to store perishable food, especially if they are unsheltered.
-
-
Health and Learning Impact: Poor nutrition impairs cognitive development and physical health, making it harder to succeed in school or work, further entrenching them in poverty.
Crime: Survival and System Involvement
​
For youth, young adults, domestic violence survivors and anyone else in need experiencing houselessness, involvement in the criminal justice system is often a direct result of survival, not inherent criminality.
​
-
Survival Crime: Behaviors necessary for survival, such as trespassing (sleeping in public spaces), petty theft (of food or essentials), or panhandling, can lead to arrests and criminal records. These records create further barriers to employment and housing.
-
System Pipeline: There is a significant overlap between youth who experience homelessness and those involved in the juvenile justice system. This involvement often begins with "status offenses" (actions considered illegal only because of a minor's age, like running away) or charges directly related to their housing status.
-
Increased Victimization: It is crucial to note that unhoused youth are far more often the victims of crime—violence, theft, and exploitation—than the perpetrators.
Depression and Mental Health
The trauma of homelessness and instability of those in need creates a profound mental health crisis, with depression being a prevalent issue.
​
-
Trauma and Stress: The relentless stress of survival, the lack of safety, and exposure to violence lead to high rates of Anxiety, Depression, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
-
High Suicide Risk: Unhoused youth report significantly higher rates of depression and suicide attempts compared to their housed peers. The hopelessness and isolation associated with their situation are overwhelming risk factors.
-
Co-occurring Issues: Mental health challenges often co-occur with substance use disorders as youth attempt to self-medicate or cope with their trauma, further complicating their path to stability.
-
Access to Care: Even when services are available, unhoused youth struggle to access consistent mental healthcare due to lack of insurance, transportation, identification, or simply prioritizing their immediate need for food and shelter.
