{
  "id": 12956846,
  "title": "State Errors Led To $13M+ In Improper Homeless Spending In Hawaii, Audit Says",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/state-errors-led-to-13m-in-improper-homeless-spending-in-hawaii-audit",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-08T21:17:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Winnipeg Free Press",
    "slug": "winnipeg-free-press",
    "url": "https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/2026/10/08/state-errors-led-to-13m-in-improper-homeless-spending-in-hawaii-audit-says"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Hawaii, the state's efforts to combat a growing homelessness crisis led to improper spending of over $13 million, according to a recent audit. Governor Josh Green's administration entrusted a small nonprofit, HomeAid Hawaiʻi, with managing a multimillion-dollar project, despite the organization's lack of the necessary resources and expertise to handle such a complex task.\n\nThe audit, conducted by State Auditor Les Kondo, revealed numerous unauthorized or questionable expenditures by the state Office of Housing and Homelessness Solutions (SOHHS) in its oversight of HomeAid. The state paid HomeAid for housing units that were never built, nearly $1 million for HomeAid's own operating costs, and over $600,000 for marketing and communications, including branded T-shirts and local newspaper ads. Additionally, the state reimbursed HomeAid for unauthorized travel, including first-class airfare, and spent nearly $80,000 to rent a luxury condominium on Maui.\n\nThe audit found that SOHHS failed to question or even review any HomeAid requests for reimbursement, attributing the lax oversight to the state's desire to swiftly address the homelessness crisis. The report also vindicates Jeffery Ben, a construction manager who sought to raise concerns about mismanagement to Governor Green in 2025, leading to his temporary placement on leave. Following the audit, the state homelessness office has taken steps to control HomeAid and recover some of the misallocated funds, but the total amount recovered is still a fraction of the $13.7 million in unauthorized and questionable payments identified in the audit.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}