Support for shelters ADVERTISING Support for shelters There are many homeless people in Hawaii. Recently, it has been seen as a problem for tourism. Tourism is a big part of Hawaii’s economy, and losing tourists because of an abundance of
Support for shelters
There are many homeless people in Hawaii. Recently, it has been seen as a problem for tourism. Tourism is a big part of Hawaii’s economy, and losing tourists because of an abundance of homeless people is something no one wants. The solution to this problem seems to be get rid of them.
Homeless are given tickets and are kicked out of parks at night. Honolulu even passed legislation that allows police to arrest homeless people for sleeping in public places. This, however, will do nothing to stop the homelessness problem.
If you give them tickets they cannot pay, it only makes things worse for them. They sleep in the street because they have nowhere else to sleep. The solution cannot be to hide the homeless from tourists. Instead of searching for and imprisoning them, we could try searching for and sheltering them. Hawaii has homeless shelters where they get food and, obviously, shelter. If police were to find people sleeping in the street, they could then escort them to one of those shelters instead of to a jail cell.
Waikiki recently started implementing a solution where people are moved to shelters or housing. They also started sending people out of state to the mainland. To purposefully search for and shelter people is a good and proactive idea. But, we cannot just put them on a plane and send them away. That is not a very responsible solution. That might get the homeless out of Hawaii, but they still are homeless.
Many homeless purposefully make their way to Hawaii because of the safer climate. Who is to say they will not find their way back? Money could be better spent toward improving and expanding homeless shelters and helping people get to them.
Some shelters provide vocational training, which is something that should be implemented more often. This takes them off the streets and helps them stay off the streets.
John L. Rios Jr.
Honokaa
Just the facts
During the whole unfolding of the June 27 lava flow, the only tangible evidence of the flow I’ve witnessed is: pahoehoe lava flows, Pu‘u ‘O‘o Crater and the Kilauea Caldera.
I have never “seen” Madame Pele. Maybe the Tribune-Herald needs to stick to the concrete and tangible facts of the June 27 flow in headlines, and not a cultural belief many people in our community do not share. Just saying!
Teri M. Gorman
Pahoa
