Childhood Homelessness Symposium

Despite common misconceptions, young children are at a greater risk of experiencing homelessness than people of any other age — with infants under age 1 at the greatest risk. Thousands of children in Hawaiʻi experience homelessness annually. In just the past year, there was a 19% increase in children and families experiencing homelessness on Oʻahu.

 

For young children, homelessness can disrupt brain development at a critical time, with impacts on education, health, and well-being that can be lifelong. At the core of this issue is Hawaiʻi's housing affordability crisis. For every 100 low-income families, there are only 40 housing units that are available and affordable to them.

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This one-day symposium, the first of its kind in Hawaiʻi, will bring together leaders, community organizations, service providers, businesses, advocates, and all who are concerned about this  urgent issue facing Hawaiʻi’s keiki. The symposium will highlight experts across sectors — like early childhood education, housing development, domestic violence, and public policy — to create a unified blueprint for our community to better serve children and families experiencing homelessness, and ultimately to ensure that every child has a home.

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The symposium is hosted by Family Promise of Hawaiʻi, a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness for families with children. FPH provides interim housing, emergency rental assistance, case management, and community engagement on Oʻahu and Maui, serving hundreds of families annually.