Why Native Hawaiians are Particularly At-Risk for Homelessness
Cultural Losses
Hundreds of years before becoming the 50th state to receive statehood to the United States, Hawai’i was an autonomous kingdom. Beginning in the 1820s, missionaries from New England arrived to spread their faith and convert the natives. Land, hula, language, and cultural values that natives relied upon for their livelihood was forbidden or taken away from them.
In an attempt to minimize the harm and right the past, a congressional movement to provide specially designated land to Native Hawaiians through the Hawaiian Homelands system was born. Unfortunately, this land was far from transportation, healthcare, and other vital resources. Today, tens of thousands of Native Hawaiians still wait on lists for decades to receive their land.
limited access to educational resources
The Hawaiian education system consistently ranks towards the bottom of the nation. National research from Chapin Hall found that lack of a high school diploma or GED is the top risk factor for young adult homelessness, resulting in a 4.5 times higher likelihood of experiencing homelessness.
Physical and Mental Struggles
Data has revealed Native Hawaiian homeless are afflicted more frequently with asthma and hypertension in comparison to other ethnic groups. As an entire population group, Native Hawaiians also struggle with elevated rates of diabetes and obesity. These conditions require expensive treatments, which can cause severe financial problems for patients and in extreme cases — result in homelessness.
Mental health is also a serious concern: Native Hawaiian adolescents have higher rates of attempted suicide than non-Hawaiian adolescents (12.9% in comparison to 9.6%). Another study in 2018 found that Native Hawaiians were also significantly less likely to receive mental health services or prescription medications for mental health treatment.