Institute of Human Services Show Initial Success with Outreach Program in Waikiki

The Institute of Human Services announced that they have experienced initial success with their full-time homeless outreach program in Waikiki, and have already helped 63 homeless people into shelter or housing since they started in November 3, 2014. The program is funded through a joint effort by the city's Housing First program as well as financial support from the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association. Connie Mitchel, the executive director of IHS, stated that the program hopes to serve 300 homeless people during its first year. As a point of reference, during the 2014 Statewide Homeless Point-in-Time Count, it was recorded that there were 541 homeless people in Waikiki in January 2014, but IHS believes that the actual number is slightly higher.

The Hilton Hawaiian Village plans to host a fundraising concert at the end of April to raise at least $1 million for the Institute of Human Services to continue its work to reduce the homeless population in Waikiki. Jerry Gibson, the area vice president for Hilton Hawaii, commented, "We want the community to line up behind us for IHS so that we can put a real big effort into giving them as much as we can so that they can have the tools to do their job to end homelessness." Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell stated, "What's taking place in Waikiki is a testament to what can happen when the public, private and nonprofit sectors work together, and we hope to continue this collaborative approach."

Rick Egged, the president of the Wai­kiki Improvement Association, added, "Frankly, I agree with those that say the problem is not solved, but I believe that they've made fantastic progress. The fact that we are on the right track shows that we can get results with the money that's been raised. The outreach and services that are happening now weren't available a year ago."

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 1-14-2015, www.staradvertiser.com
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Downtown and Chinatown Neighborhoods Hope to Expand Sit-Lie Sidewalk Ban

The Honolulu City Council is scheduled to vote on Bill 62, which would expand the sit-lie sidewalk ban to six areas in downtown and Chinatown. The ban would extend the ordinance to College Walk Mall (along the Ewa side of Nuu­anu Stream between Bere­ta­nia and Kukui streets), the unnamed mall mauka of College Walk (from Kukui Street to Foster Botanical Garden), Sun Yat Sen Mall (parallel to College Walk, Diamond Head side of Nuu­anu Stream), Kekau­like Mall, Fort Street Mall and Union Mall.  Each ban would be effect from 5:00 AM to 7:00 PM daily.  City Councilwoman Carol Fuku­naga, who represents the Chinatown-downtown region, stated that the intent is not to criminalize the homeless, but rather get people "into something better for them, and to help business owners take back control of the areas outside their businesses."

In recent weeks, residents, business owners, and community leaders in the downtown and Chinatown communities have been complaining about a surge of homeless place, who may have been displaced from a recent ordinance preventing them from sitting and lying on sidewalks in Waikiki.  Mayor Kirk Caldwell said that he is inclined to sign Bill 62 provided that city attorneys say it passes constitutional muster.  Caldwell stated, "All of these are tools or measures to try to make a difference in areas that are adversely impacted by people who choose to sit and lie in areas that were designed, like this (Kekau­like) mall, to walk on."

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 12-3-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
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Downtown Store-Owners Complain About Homeless

Ever since a ban went into effect preventing sitting and lying on sidewalks in Waikiki, store-owners in Downtown Honolulu have been complaining that has been a significant increase in the number of homeless people loitering on their sidewalks.  It also appears that the arrival of homeless people from outside the neighborhood have increase the number of fights and altercations between the homeless, which is driving customers away. The Honolulu City Council has stated that they would like to expand the sit-lie ban in other areas around the state including Downtown Honolulu and Chinatown, but Mayor Kirk Caldwell added that he will wait to hear from city attorneys before signing it into law.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 11-24-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
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Six Hundred Homeless Arrived in Hawaii Within the Last 12 Months

According to a report issued by the University of Hawaii, approximately 600 people, or six percent of the homeless population of the state, arrived in Hawaii within the last 12 months.  Approximately 1,600 people, or 16 percent of the homeless population, have moved to Hawaii within the last five years.  This report seems to reinforce a general consensus that the growing population of homeless are recent arrivals from the mainland United States who come to the islands for the warm weather, nice beaches, easy access to assistance, and universal health coverage. State and country representatives are meeting to discuss how the homelessness problem can be mitigated.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 11-20-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
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Mayor's Sand Island Transitional Center Facing Unanticipated Costs and Delays

Mayor Kirk Caldwell had proposed in August to convert a 5-acre vacant lot on Sand Island into a temporary transition center for up to 115 homeless people.  Initially, the plan was expected to cost less than $1 million, but this number seems to be growing significantly, which may mean that the Mayor's office will have to drop the proposal entirely. 

The state Department of Health stated that the 5-acre lot may contain contaminants because it was once a dump site.  In order to gain approval to build the transitional center, the state Board of Land and Natural Resources stated that a soil study must be conducted to ensure that it is safe for people to camp there.  Soil remediation and resurfacing is already twice what the Mayor's office had initially anticipated, and experts believe that there may be better ways to allocate the $1 million.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 11-11-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
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State's Homeless Population Has Increased by 18 Percent Since 2010

According to a new report issued by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Hawaii's homeless population has increased by 18 percent in 2010.  This is a huge increase, especially considering that the United States as a whole has had their homeless population decreased by 9 percent during that same period.  Part of the increase in Hawaii's numbers has been attributed to improved efforts to find and tally the homeless, but residents and visitors alike have noticed a visible increase and are placing pressure on the government and nonprofit service providers to do something about this problem.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 10-31-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
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Housing First Project to Offer 115 People Permanent Shelter for a Year

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell's office announced that they have awarded a one-year Housing First contract to the Institute of Human Services in the amount of $2 million.  Under this contract, the IHS will provide permanent shelter for 115 chronically homeless people starting November 1, 2014.  Under the city's definition, chronically homeless are those who have been without shelter for at least a year and/or are prevented from getting ahead financially due to serious issues such as mental illness, substance abuse and other medical conditions.  IHS would provide rental vouchers to help people find shelters in units within the community.

The Honolulu City Council has approved $47 million in capital improvement dollars to purchase and develop affordable housing for the homeless and disadvantaged.  However, acquiring and building these properties would take at least a year.  Therefore, the contract to the Institute of Human Services was awarded.  IHS will be required to give 40 percent of its vouchers to clients from Wai­kiki, 40 percent from downtown Hono­lulu and 20 percent from West Oahu.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 10-15-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
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Concern Mounts on Where the Waikiki Homeless Will Go

At the start of this year, Honolulu officials estimated that there were 560 chronically homeless people living on Oahu, out of which approximately 30 percent, or 170 people, lived in Waikiki.  Last month, the Honolulu Police Department begun enforcing a new law which prohibits lying and sitting on Waikiki's public sidewalks.  It is estimated that about 50 to 60 percent of the homeless population in Waikiki has moved away from Waikiki.  However, there has been conflicting information as to where the homeless have gone or plan to relocate to.

According to Ron Lockwood, the chairman of the McCully-Moiliili Neighborhood Board, there appears to be an increase of homeless camped out in his board's jurisdiction. Lockwood stated that the homeless are sleeping on side streets to avoid being harassed by law enforcement officers.  Neighborhood boards in Ala Moana, Kakaako, and Chinatown are also concerned if they would see an surge in homeless on their streets.  Mayor Kirk Caldwell has stated that he is committed to its "Housing First" Program which would help to provide permanent housing to those deemed chronically homeless.  However, while the funds are in place to build these units, they are still months away from completion.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 10-12-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
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No More Overnight Camping on Fort DeRussy Beach in Wakiki

Last month, the City and County of Honolulu passed a new law which banned sitting or lying on sidewalks within the Waikiki Special Design District.  In response, many homeless decided to camp out overnight on the Fort DeRussy Beach in Waikiki, as its jurisdiction fell under the state of Hawaii's Board of Land and Natural Resources and could not be regulated by the Honolulu Police Department.  This led to complaints from hotel operators, residents and community leaders in Waikiki.

In the latest development, the state Board of Land and Natural Resources has voted unanimously to issue the city a one-year revocable permit which allows the Honolulu police and other city workers to enforce laws at Fort DeRussy Beach for "health and safety reason."  The state will continue to be responsible for erosion control, sand replenishment and sand cleaning on the beach during the time of the permit.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 10-11-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
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Solution to Homeless at Waikiki's Fort DeRussy Beach Sought

Last month, the Honolulu City Council approved several bills that would prevent people from sitting or lying on sidewalks in Waikiki and that would ban public urination and defecation. These new laws, coupled with existing park closures and no-camping polices were part of Mayor Kirk Caldwell's strategy of compassionate disruptions, which were meant to have the homeless population find help, government assistance and long term housing. However, many of the homeless found a loophole in the law and have simply moved themselves to Fort DeRussy Beach and made themselves at home.

The challenge stems from the fact that the Honolulu police department has no jurisdiction over Fort DeRussy Beach.  The stretch of beachfront that runs from the Hale Koa Hotel to the Outrigger Reef Hotel is under the jurisdiction of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.  Police Captain Lisa Mann, who is in charge of District 6 Waikiki, stated that the police have been getting complaints daily about the homeless who have taken over Fort DeRussy Beach.  Mann stated, "The area is under state jurisdiction and the district attorneys won't prosecute."

Mayor Kirk Caldwell's office has stated that they are in preliminary discussions with the DLNR about how to resolve the jurisdictional issues of Fort DeRussy, but it could take months since it would require approval from the state Board of Land and Nature Resources. Jesse Broder Van Dyke, Caldwell's spokesman, stated, "The mayor is definitely interested in this measure, but he wants to make it clear that it could only happen with the approval of DLNR."

Daniel Raffone, a new resident to Waikiki, stated, "Homeless people are everywhere. It's a huge contrast to Hilton Hawaiian Village and shops like Armani and Tiffany's. If this continues, the tourists will stop coming to Hawaii. They'll say, 'Hawaii was great and beautiful, but there were so many homeless people and drugs all over. We're going to take our $5,000 elsewhere.'"

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 10-3-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
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Waikiki Homeless Move to Fort DeRussy Beach

With the recent ban on sitting and lying on Waikiki sidewalks enacted into law, some of Waikiki's homeless residents have decided to move themselves to Fort DeRussy Beach. which stretches from in front of the Hale Koa Hotel and the Outrigger Reef on the Beech. The Honolulu Police Department is unable to anything about the new homeless campers as Fort DeRussy Beach falls under the jurisdiction of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.  The military police, who patrol the grounds of the Hale Koa Hotel, have stated that their jurisdiction ends at the sidewalk. Tom Brower, the state representative for Ala Moana, Waikiki and Kakaako, commented, "Now that the homeless won't be permitted on Wai­kiki sidewalks, it's no surprise that they'll want to be on the beaches,"  Waikiki resident Steve Caplan noted, "What has occurred in just the last few weeks is a massive influx of tents and individual sleepers from the 10 p.m.-to-6 a.m. range because they know they are in a safe zone exempt from HPD control. It's Little Switzerland."

Lisa Mann, the acting commander of the Waikiki police force stated, "It has recently been brought to our attention that the number of campers has grown. HPD has been advised recently that they can't move them because the area is under state jurisdiction and the district attorneys won't prosecute."  Mann added that they could enforce rules prohibiting camping at Fort DeRussy Beach, but the proper signs would have to be posted first. Deborah Ward, the spokeswoman for the Department of Land and Natural Resources, stated, "The department is currently reviewing jurisdiction issues and is not prepared to comment on these questions."

Barry Wallace, the executive vice president of hospitality services for Outrigger Enterprises, commented, "The current level of homelessness is just awful. It's very frightening to our guests and employees. It's unsanitary, unattractive and totally not what people want to see when they come to Hawaii. We supported the sit-lie bill with the idea that it would give police a tool to move people off the streets and connect them with shelters and help. We're even working with a nonprofit to provide more services. I would hate to think that there was one area in Wai­kiki where the rules didn't apply."

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 9-20-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
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New Bill Would Ban Sitting and Lying Down on Sidewalks in 11 Additional Commercial Regions on Oahu

The Honolulu City Council's Zoning and Planning Committee has given their approval on Bill 48, which would ban sitting and lying down on sidewalks in 11 different commercial regions on Oahu.  Under the bill, it would be a misdemeanor or sit or lie down on public sidewalks from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day in "areas zone for commercial and business activities." The bill will go before the entire City Council next month for a final vote, but city attorneys have already commented that the bill will probably be challenged in court.

City Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi has noted that the new Waikiki sit-lie bill is already pushing sidewalk dwellers into other communities like McCully, Moiliili, Ala Moana and Kakaako.  Kobayashi, who supported Bill 48, stated, "I don't like these bills either, but I have to protect the people that live in the district, the businesses that are there. I feel it's my duty as their Council member to include those areas."

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 9-19-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
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Honolulu Mayor Signs Sidewalk Bills

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell has signed into law several bills that would affect the sidewalks of Waikiki and other parts of the island of Oahu.  Bill 42 made it illegal for people to sit or lie on Waikiki sidewalks 24 hours per day.  Bill 43 prohibited people from urinating and defecating in public places in Waikiki.  Bill 46 made it illegal for people to urinate or defecate in public areas in the rest of Oahu.  Offenders who violate these new laws could be fined up to $1,000 and/or up to one month in jail for the petty misdemeanor.

Caldwell noted that he also intends to sign Bill 48 which would ban sitting and lying from 5:00 AM to 11:00 PM in Chinatown, downtown, McCully-Moiliili, Waipahu, Kalihi, and Kailua. Bill 48 still needs to be heard by the City Council's Zoning and Planning Committee and will need a final vote by the full City Council before coming to the Mayor's desk for his signature.

Opponents of the bills argue that they are unconstitutional and immoral.  They believe that the government is criminalizing being homeless and feel that the money spent enforcing these laws would be better served by building more housing and providing more services for those who need it.  Several organizations have stated that they would challenge the constitutionality of these bills in court.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 9-17-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
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City Obtains Lease for Transitional Center at Sand Island

The City and County of Honolulu has obtained a conditional lease from the state Board of Land and Natural Resources to build a transitional center at Sand Island.  The center will provide shelter for up to 100 homeless people at a time and is designed as temporary housing until the homeless could secure more permanent housing.  The city will still have to obtain clearance from the state Department of Health as well obtain an environmental assessment of the location.  City officials restated that they would not proceed with the building of the transitional center if the site is deemed to be hazardous or unsafe.  However, once the site is deemed safe, they hope to be up and running within a few months.

Opponents of the transitional center argue that the city is building a "de facto internment camp", are not providing enough security, and are using an unsafe location.  The Sand Island site may be challenged in court.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 9-13-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
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Waikiki Sidewalk Bills Approved by Honolulu City Council

There are many Waikiki business leaders, residents and tourists who have become increasingly frustrated with the growing homeless population in their community.  Andrew Kawano, the executive vice president of Food Pantry Ltd. stated, "They go through our trash cans; they pull out anything that looks edible, like uneaten fruit. They eat it and they toss it on the ground. They panhandle and eat whatever they can get nearby the entrance. They defecate and they wipe their feces on the side of our building. They harass customers and use foul language. They walk through our store, making our customers uneasy and afraid."

In response, members of the Honolulu City Council have approved the following bills, which will now move to the mayor's desk for his signature: Bill 42 will ban people from sitting or lying on sidewalks in Waikiki.  Bill 43 will ban people from urinating or defecating in public places in Waikiki.  Bill 46 will impose a ban on urinating and defecating in public throughout the island of Oahu.  Violating these bills would be considered to be petty misdemeanors that could be punishable by up to a year in prison and a $1,000 fine.

Opponents of these bills feel that they are unfairly targeting and criminalizing the homeless.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 9-11-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
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Community Members Criticize Homeless "Transition Center" at Sand Island

At a recent public meeting, several community members criticized the City and County of Honolulu's plan of building a homeless "transition center" at Sand Island, stating that government officials have not thought the idea through.  The primary concerns include having adequate security and what would happen if homeless decide to drop out of the transition center and become permanent residents of Sand Island.  Kalihi resident, Jon Kiko, stated, "Dumping somebody in somebody else's backyard is not the solution. You guys need to think about it a little bit more."  Others called the center a concentration camp for homeless.

City officials hope to build what they are calling the Temporary Mobile Access to Services and Housing.  The site would be on a 5-acre plot land near the Sand Island Access Road bridge. Under the proposal, the transition center would be able to house about 100 people who meet the definition of "chronically homeless" and who agree to work toward moving into permanent shelter under the city's Housing First program.  Ember Shinn, the City Managing Director, stated that the city opes to open the center in two to three months and that it could help get 40 people off the streets of Waikiki.  The plan is to have the center stay open no longer than two years.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 9-11-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
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Transition Center for Homeless Suggested for A Five-Acre Site at Sand Island

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell has suggested creating what is being called a "transition center" for homeless people on the island of Oahu while new permanent housing is being constructed under the Housing First initiative.  The state of Hawaii has agreed to provide the city with a vacant 5-acre parcel of land at Sand Island. City Managing Director Ember Shinn stated that the Sand Island site will not be a traditional "safe zone" or homeless encampment, but rather a transitional center for approximately 100 people who meet the definition of chronically homeless.  Those using the site would be moved into permanent shelters with a year to 18 months. Shinn commented, "We're hoping that we can bring people in off the streets, assess them if they haven't been assessed, score and rank them in terms of their priorities for services, and then move them into permanent shelters as they become available. We are not providing any walls or permanent shelters whatsoever; it's totally transitional."

The city would provide 24-hour property management and security, restrooms and showers, storage units, benches, park tables and other on-site services.  There will also be shuttle service to a major bus line.  Pets would be allowed and there would be no curfews.  They will be some rules, however security would be focused on making sure that the site is safe and not cracking down on illegal activities. The Housing First initiative calls for the city spending approximately $44 million to either acquire or develop housing for 400 chronically homeless individuals over the next two years.

Some argue that the Sand Island site is too remote and many homeless living in the Waikiki and Kakaako neighborhoods don't want to move there.  There is also criticism that the Sand Island initiative is criminalizing the homeless for not having shelter.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 9-6-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
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Sand Island Proposed as Temporary Site for Oahu's Homeless

The City and County of Honolulu is currently under negotiation with the state of Hawaii to use Sand Island as a temporary site for Oahu's homeless individuals and their families to set up their tents and receive help from service providers.  Under the proposal submitted by the mayor's office, the site will only be used for about 12 to 18 months, and would only be in place until permanent housing options under the Housing First program can be built.  It has been stressed that Sand Island will not be a "safe zone" or a "tent city", but rather a temporary shelter site that would include bathrooms with showers, security, transportation, hygiene centers and storage space.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 8-29-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
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Honolulu City Council Looks at Five Bills That Would Have Major Impact on the Homeless

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
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Waikiki Visitor Industry Hopes to Address Chronic Homeless Problem

Waikiki officials are very concerned with the chronic homeless problem in their neighborhood and are attempting to work with the Institute of Human Services and the Honolulu City Council to alleviate the problem.  Rick Egged, the president of the Waikiki Improvement Association stated that they hope to join forces with IHS to create services to help house the homeless. Egged stated, "A team from IHS has met with visitor industry leaders and, based on the way that they have reacted, I'm very optimistic that we can get it up and running by Jan. 1."

The City Council's Zoning and Planning Committee plans to meet on August 28 to review two bills that would prohibit standing and lying on sidewalks as well as urinating and defecating in public areas in Waikiki.  Ikaika Anderson, the Zoning Chairman, stated, "I do believe that the public urination and defecation bills pertaining to Waikiki and islandwide need to pass, but I'm also convinced that the administration needs to give the Council a definitive timetable for Housing First. It's unacceptable when they tell us it will be implemented in August and a few weeks later we hear that it will be October at the earliest. The Council appropriated more than $47 million to implement an affordable housing and Housing First strategy, and I suggest that the mayor release these monies in a timely manner."

Mayor Kirk Caldwell disagrees, and feels that the city should not implement the bans until it can house all of the estimated 5,000 homeless on Oahu.  Caldwell stated, "What we are left with is a problem that continues to fester with no additional tools to improve the situation."

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 8-18-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
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