The Honolulu City Council's Zoning and Planning Committee will be looking at five bills which, if made into laws, would have a huge impact on the homeless population of Oahu. Three of the bills are focused on banning lying and sitting on public sidewalks in various areas around Oahu, with Bill 42 focusing on restrictions in Waikiki, Bill 45 imposing it island wide, and Bill 48 focusing on business districts in downtown Honolulu. Meanwhile, Bill 43 would ban urinating and defecating in public areas of Waikiki, while Bill 46 would impose the same ban island wide.
Supporters of the bills state that the sidewalks should belong to pedestrians and that Oahu's sidewalks should be clear and clean for residents, businesses and visitors to use. Opponents of the bills argue that they unfairly target the homeless population and the city should create shelters and services to help the homeless. One online petition against the bills states, "The sidewalks are the only public place left for displaced persons to legally exist. Those seeking this criminalization cannot succeed without the majority of local working-class people buying into their propaganda that displaced families threaten the livelihood of our state, which they clearly do not."
Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 8-26-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
Posted by Jeff Uyemura-Reyes, Principal Broker, REALTOR®
Global Executive Realty, LLC
www.myhawaiihomesearch.com
www.myhawaiicondo.com
www.myhawaiidreamhome.com
Posted by Jeff Uyemura-Reyes, Principal Broker, REALTOR®
Global Executive Realty, LLC
www.myhawaiihomesearch.com
www.myhawaiicondo.com
www.myhawaiidreamhome.com
