 During the slimming down of hostels, a new focus for HI USA took hold.In 2008, the council model of governance - whereby 26 councils oversaw the majority of hostel operations – was questioned as the most effective model for moving forward.After several years of intensive research, debate, and discussion, the councils voted on June 11, 2011, to dissolve their entities into one unified, national organization, as a way to combine assets and resources to become a stronger organization.