HONOLULU (KHON2) — The city’s Punawai Rest Stop is a homeless program that is working.
Located on Kuwili Street, the rest stop and hygiene center has been open for a year now.
It’s a place where homeless can take a shower, store belongings, use computers even get their pets checked out by a vet.
Over the past year the city says more than 2,000 clients have used services there.
City Council Member Joey Manahan proposed the project and wanted it in his district of Kalihi.
“When we got together to create this space, it really created in the spirit to alleviate the day to day hardships and symptoms of poverty that people feel while living on the streets here in Honolulu,” said Honolulu City Council member Joey Manahan.
“Every community in some cases they don’t want services like this,” said Kalihi-Plama Neighborhood Board member Ken Farm. “For us this is something that was very necessary. And just the ability for somebody to wash clothes, to shower, saves us so much money. This is the bottom floor here. As soon as we get the second floor going there’s going to be preventive care here.”
The city says over the past year, the program has helped 92 people find housing, 35 people find jobs and 10 clients have gotten into substance abuse treatment.
The Punawai Rest Stop is open daily from 7 a.m. To 7 p.m.
