Kauai County Awards $500,000 to Five Homeless Service Programs

The County of Kaua'i's Housing Agency has named the recipients of its 2026 Homeless Program Grants, distributing $500,000 across five organizations working directly with people experiencing homelessness on Kaua'i.

The awards emerged from a four-phase evaluation process in which a scoring system was used to rank proposals, though scores alone did not determine the final funding recommendations — deliberations as a group shaped the final outcome. Of the 12 proposals received, 10 were eligible for consideration, and a selection committee reviewed and scored all eligible projects, selecting the top five to fund.

Among the recipients, Family Life Center received its full $90,000 request for Homeless Street Outreach. The county identified Family Life Center as its only street outreach provider, and one that is directly connected to the Homeless Management Information System, known as HMIS. The funding is described as necessary to increase the organization's capacity to serve unhoused individuals by supporting an outreach position.

The grants are shaped by the county's draft Five-Year Homeless Strategic Plan. Housing Director Adam Roversi noted that the county awarded six grants last year, with awards ranging from $19,500 to $200,000, and said "the number and size of grants will depend on the proposals received." Roversi also said several homeless services on Kaua'i remain underfunded, including street outreach, emergency shelter, transitional housing, homelessness prevention and mental health services.

How success is measured will vary by program type, Roversi said. "A street outreach program would be assessed based on the number of individuals contacted and productively directed to new services," he said. "A transitional housing program would be judged on individuals successfully removed from the street and ultimately transitioned to permanent housing."

Priority in the selection process was given to proposals that showed the greatest community benefit while maintaining financial stability. Funded contracts run from March 1, 2026, through February 28, 2027.

The names of the four other funded organizations were not included in the county's publicly available announcement summary. The full list of recipients and award amounts can be obtained from the Kaua'i County Housing Agency; media inquiries may be directed to CountyPIO@kauai.gov.