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Hawaii County on Wednesday will relocate the temporary camp for homeless individuals it set up earlier this month off Ponahawai Street in downtown Hilo.

In a press release late this afternoon, the county announced it secured a new site off Kuawa Street for “a temporary respite area” as service providers continue to work with the former canal occupants to secure housing.

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The current camp downtown will be dismantled and moved to the new Kuawa site, which will only serve the former canal occupants still utilizing the respite area at this time.

The press release did not state specifically where on Kuawa Street the camp would be located.

“This temporary respite and transition area has provided dozens of individuals with a safe and dignified space to receive the critical services and care needed to exit homelessness,” said Mayor Mitch Roth in a statement. “We are thankful for the cooperation and teamwork among the various county agencies and nonprofit service providers who remain committed to making this effort a success.”

The temporary camp was established July 5 for several dozen unsheltered individuals occupying the area in and around a storm drain in downtown Hilo in anticipation of the U.S Army Corps of Engineers’ scheduled assessments of the drainage system.

As of Monday, 14 tents providing shelter for 22 individuals remained at the respite area. Two people have secured housing.

The Kuawa Street site will continue to provide netted Quickshades for occupants to store their items and receive vital services, according to the press release. As each person continues to receive the necessary support to transition from the canal area to permanent or emergency housing, their space in the respite area will be dismantled and removed.

Security measures will remain in place to monitor the camp and ensure compliance with rules and laws. Individuals who violate these rules will be removed from the area and will face enforcement actions.

Following the move to the new location, the Ponahawai Street site will be returned to its previous condition and then restored for recreational use, the press release stated.

The county, in collaboration with The Salvation Army Hawaiian and Pacific Islands Division, anticipates the opening of a new emergency overnight cot sleeping shelter for 25 individuals in downtown Hilo in late August.