According to Honolulu City Councilman Stanley Chang, the homeless situation in Waikiki is currently the number one complaint that tourists make to the Waikiki police substation. Chang is proposing that the city should budget $77 million to help reduce and eventually solve the homeless problem on Oahu, and perhaps create a “place of refuge” or a “tent city” for them to reside. Approximately $61 million would come from the sale of public housing projects while another $16 million would be from an Affordable Housing Fund from property taxes. Chang stated, “We’ve got a five-alarm fire right now in Waikiki. Some homeless people have pets, mental issues, drug issues or other challenges that make them poor candidates for the options out there. This is a place where they could be in a safe space and live their lives with dignity. We need enough money for a game-changer. We’ve been involved in incremental solutions like 100,000 Homes, Housing First and similar programs. What I’ve learned through all of this is that the number of calls and complaints have not gone down. They’ve increased. All efforts are great, but they haven’t made the issue go away.”
Bob Finley, the Waikiki Neighborhood Board Chairman, stated, “The numbers of homeless living on the streets, beaches, parks and other public places in Waikiki has reached epidemic proportions. Making this situation worse is the number of children that are a combination of runaway kids and homeless family members that are included in the mix of people living on our streets.” Finley added that visitors are constantly complaining about being harassed by panhandlers or not being certain areas of beach or parks due to homeless.
According to the Institute for Human Services (IHS), on any given night their agency has about 20 vacant beds available at their women’s and families shelter and another 50 vacant beds at their men’s shelter. However, due to nice weather, the shelter’s locations, and strict rules banning drugs, alcohol, pets and a zero-tolerance policy on violence, many homeless people choose to stay out on the streets instead of staying in shelters. The IHS also commented that a homeless person can earn about $40 to $50 per day in Waikiki picking up empty cans and bottles and recycling them for cash. They also receive frequent handouts from tourists, giving them an additional incentive to stay in the area.
Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 3-17-2013, www.staradvertiser.com
Posted by Jeff Uyemura-Reyes, Broker-in-Charge, Realtor®
Global Executive Realty, LLC
www.myhawaiihomesearch.com
www.myhawaiicondo.com
www.myhawaiidreamhome.com
Posted by Jeff Uyemura-Reyes, Broker-in-Charge, Realtor®
Global Executive Realty, LLC
www.myhawaiihomesearch.com
www.myhawaiicondo.com
www.myhawaiidreamhome.com
