HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A Wahiawa facility originally opened to get homeless people off the streets is now a hotspot for illegal encampments.
The nonprofit organization responsible now owes at least tens of thousands of dollars.
Residents told HNN that the nonprofit Achieve Zero has become a site of squatting and suspicious activity since it closed in December.
For months, piles of personal belongings, shopping carts and garbage bags have been lying on the sidewalk of Mango Street.
“Worse than a hurricane. It was really bad. Feminine hygiene products and even human feces were used,” said Raquel Runnels, who volunteers with Pastor Kalao Patterson’s relief group and regularly cleans the area with HPD.
In December, the nonprofit organization not only stopped operating the building, but also shut down its group entirely.
A statement reads:
Despite our best efforts… we have not been able to successfully navigate the difficult environment and financial challenges that nonprofits face in the work we do.
Nearly a year later, state Rep. Amy Perusso said plans for the property are still unclear.
“There is a lot of confusion and not much information about what is happening with the building,” Perusso explained.
HNN has since learned that the nonprofit owes about $70,000 to the Council For Native Hawaiian Advancement, which advanced the money to the organization.
CNHA says they are still trying to cover their losses, but communication with the nonprofit organization is sporadic.
The state, which has also provided at least $1 million in grants, is now weighing its options for the building.
“Either the state can gain complete control of the site and have various state agencies purchase the building and operate out of it, or there are other nonprofits in the area exploring whether they want to purchase the property,” said State Senator Donovan Dela Cruz.
He added that if the state were to acquire the building, Achieve Zero would likely have to pay off its debt to the state first.
In the meantime, social workers with the city’s CORE program are providing resources they hope will help individuals find emergency housing.
HNN contacted Achieve Zero, but our emails returned as “undeliverable” and their phone line is down.
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