Honolulu recently enacted Ordinance 11-29, which allows the city to remove personal belongings from city sidewalks and parks. However, the law has some concerned that it unfairly targets the homeless and does not address the underlying issues.
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Ua hōʻoia ʻia ka pila 54 ma ka hoʻomaka ʻana o kēia mahina e kāʻili ana nā pono i mālama mau ʻia ma nā pāka a me nā ala hele o Honolulu nei a wahi a ka hope luna hoʻomalu ʻo Ikaika Anderson, ua kūpono nō.
“Nui ka hopohopo i hāpai ʻia iā mākou nei no ka waiho mau ʻia ʻana o nā mea pono ma nā pāka a me nā ala hele i kaulike ʻole i ka lehulehu ākea.”
A ‘aʻole ʻo kēia ka pila mua i hoʻopuka ʻia no ka pono o kēia mālama kūpono ʻana i nā wahi e kaʻahele a hoʻonānea ai ka lehulehu ākea a ua walaʻau mākou me kekahi o nā kānaka e noho ana ma kaʻe o ke alanui a ma loko o kēia pāka nei ʻo Pāwaʻa. Wahi a lākou, ʻaʻole kēia pila he kākoʻo i ko lākou pono. Eia naʻe, ʻike lākou i ka pono e kaʻanalike aku i kēia pāka nei me ka lehulehu ākea.
A ʻoiai ʻaʻole kēia he pila e kālele kikoʻī ana i ka poʻe hale ʻole, ua lilo kēia poʻe he hapa nui o kēia pilikia nei, a wahi a kekahi, ʻaʻole lawa kēia mau pila no ka hoʻoponopono ʻana i ia pilikia nei.
“ʻAʻole lawa kēia mau pila e kākoʻo i ka nui o ka poʻe hale ʻole,” wahi a ke poʻo o Institute for Human Services.
Akā wahi a ka hope luna hoʻomalu, he hoʻomaka nō ia. “I koʻu manaʻo, he kōkua nā pila e like me ka Pila 54 i ka poʻe e makemake ana i ke kōkua ma ka hoʻomaka ʻana i kēlā ʻimi ʻana.”
“Manaʻo lana au e ʻimi ana ua mau kānaka i ke kākoʻo o ia mau polokalamu,” wahi a Connie.
Eia naʻe, wahi a ka hope luna hoʻomalu, no ka poʻe e makemake ʻole ana e ʻimi i kēia lima kōkua, ke noʻonoʻo ʻia nei kekahi ala hou aku e like me Housing First.
“ʻO Housing First he polokalamu e waiho ana i ka hale no ia mau kānaka nei, a ke mākaukau lākou, na ia polokalamu nei e kākoʻo i ko lākou holomua kūpono ʻana.”
At the beginning of the month, Bill 54 was passed allowing for City facility maintenance to clear public areas of personal property. And according to the Vice Chair of the City and County of Honolulu, Ikaika Anderson, it was necessary.
“The Council had received concerns across the island that people were starting to occupy our parks and occupy our sidewalks, which are public space that are owned by the general public and everybody, whether you’re homeless or not, needs to have fair and equal access to our public areas.”
This isn’t the first bill, however, that addresses the problem of preventing public access in Honolulu and we spoke with some of the homeless at Pāwaʻa Park. Although they understand the need for public accessibility, this bill does not help the big problem.
Though this bill doesn’t specifically target the homeless, they are affected. And to some, bills aren’t enough to fix this problem.
“I think that the laws passed about homelessness are really designed to address a small segment of our homeless population” says Connie Mitchell, who is the Executive Director of Institute for Human Services.
However, the Vice Chair believes that this is indeed a start. “With measures like Bill 54 those homeless folks who do want services and who do want to take advantage of the social service networks out there to assist them, yes, they will take advantage of those services that are offered.”
“My hope is that when people who may be homeless who are, you know, choosing to do that, find out that they can’t do that anymore, that they might choose to seek shelter,” says Connie.
However, according to the Vice Chair for those uninterested in seeking help, there are alternative solutions being discussed.
“What Housing First does is first and foremost, provides these folks with housing and with shelter and after doing that, the program then takes into account the problems that these folks have with substance abuse, possible mental illness, and possible medications and services that these folks may need.”
