(BIVN) – Governor Josh Green, M.D., has named Hawaiʻi State Representative John Mizuno as the his new Coordinator on Homelessness. 

Rep. Mizuno – a Democrat who serves District 29 on Oaʻhu, and a former State House Vice Speaker – will succeed James Koshiba in the Coordinator position. Koshiba will return to nonprofit work, the Governor’s office says. 

Reports say Mizuno will vacate his House seat in early January. A successor for the District 29 seat will be named within 60 days, officials say. 

From a news release from the Office of Governor Green:

“I have known John Mizuno for decades and he has a heart for the people that will serve him well as he works to build roofs over people’s heads. As a physician, I know that housing is healthcare and every human being has a right to be housed. John is going to work very hard to expand that reality for as many people as he can.”

Mizuno is a veteran in the social services field and is an advocate for Hawaiʻi’s youth, kūpuna and the disability community. Prior to his career as a lawmaker, he was a special investigator for the Department of Human Services and served as a Public Hearings Officer for the department between 1992 and 1998.

As a first-term lawmaker, he was the first in Hawaiʻi to be recognized as Legislator of the Year, in 2006. He was vice speaker of the House from 2013 to 2017 and was re-elected to serve as vice speaker again from 2020 to 2022.

“It is humbling to have been appointed by Governor Green as his coordinator on homelessness and I am honored and grateful,” Mizuno said. “My time with the House Committee on Human Services has greatly informed me of the needs of the houseless community and I will work tirelessly to fulfill Governor Green’s mission.”

Mizuno is a graduate of the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa with a B.S. in Sociology and a law degree from Willamette University, College of Law in Salem Oregon.