Hawaii has long been known as a tropical paradise, but in recent years another image has intruded into the state's carefully crafted one of idyllic beaches and relaxing resorts: homelessness. The number of homeless people has grown in recent years, leaving the state with 487 homeless per 100,000 people, the nation's highest rate per capita, above New York and Nevada, according to federal statistics. Many of the homeless, however, defy the stereotype of the mentally ill or drug addicted. They are families, with men and women who work full-time jobs. They are struggling to get a foothold in a place with a high cost of living and low wages. Here: in this Thursday, August 27, 2015 photo, a homeless man drinks water while sitting on the beach at Ala Moana Beach Park located near Waikiki in Honolulu. (Photo by Jae C. Hong/AP Photo)

English singer-songwriter, dancer, model and actress Sarah Harding attends the launch of Walkers Bring It Back Campaign at Vinopolis on September 3, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Joseph Okpako/WireImage)

Students protest in red underwear on the Plein in The Hague, The Netherlands, 02 June 2021. The action is part of the #NietMijnSchuld campaign by Dutch union FNV Young & United and the National Student Union LSVb, which are campaigning for a debt-free basic grant. (Photo by Bart Maat/EPA/EFE)

Geese are walking under pear trees in full bloom in Shiliangliu village, West Coast New District, in Qingdao, China, on April 8, 2024. (Photo by Costfoto/NurPhoto/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

A girl watches as Saen Dao, an eight-year-old female asian elephant, and her mahout perform underwater during a show at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi south of Bangkok on June 1, 2017. (Photo by Roberto Schmidt/AFP Photo)

Passengers with their pet dogs take a pet-friendly train on the Jinyidong Line of the Jinhua Rail Transit on June 22, 2025 in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province of China. (Photo by Shi Bufa/VCG via Getty Images)

Princess Charlene poses after the arrival of the Riviera Water Bike Challenge in support of the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation, in Nice, France, June 4, 2017. (Photo by Eric Gaillard/Reuters)

A bully greenfinch (left) got its comeuppance when a small but fiery dunnock (right) defended itself with its talons in Suffolk, United Kingdom on April 18, 2022. The smaller bird was perched peacefully before the finch burst onto the scene and aggressively squared up to the dunnock. But as the finch tried to peck at the dunnock, the small brown bird expertly used its foot to slam its mouth shut. (Photo by Paul Sawer/Solent News & Photo Agency)