Hawaii will receive more than $1.2 million through a federal program to fight homelessness among veterans.

The new injection of funds bolsters the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program — run by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development — that provides rental assistance and clinical services for homeless veterans.

In Hawaii, the program is projected to help 110 vets this year.

“This is an urgent issue that must be addressed with a multifaceted strategy, and $1.2 million in housing funding for Hawaii veterans is a helpful step in the right direction,” U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who served two tours of duty in the Middle East as a member of the Hawaii National Guard, said in a statement.

Tents line the sidewalks at Ohe Street near Waterfront Park in Kakaako.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

The expansion of the HUD-VASH program is part of the national effort to eliminate the veterans homelessness by the end of the year — a goal President Barack Obama set in 2010.

With the deadline fast approaching, Hawaii has a lot to work on. As Civil Beat recently reported, the HUD-VASH program isn’t finding traction in Hawaii’s tight rental housing market. The latest “point in time” count, which was released on Monday, bears that out: The number of homeless veterans in Oahu stood at 467, an increase of nearly 52 percent since 2009.

You can read the full “point in time” count here: