Mayor Billy Kenoi said Monday no homeless sweeps are planned on the Big Island such as those recently carried out at an encampment in Oahu’s Kakaako neighborhood — or like the ones Gov. David Ige says will take place at two Honolulu parks if individuals and families don’t move soon.
“We know that it will take all of us working together to address the challenge of homelessness,” Kenoi said in a written statement. “Our administration will continue to work collaboratively with Governor Ige and his team, state agencies, and our local and statewide organizations to care for our community together.”
In a press conference Monday morning, Ige warned about 130 people who moved their tents from the recently cleared encampment into Kakaako Waterfront Park and Kewalo Basin they have until Nov. 12 to move. That’s the target date the state set to enforce the parks’ 10 p.m. closure time.
“We do know that the homeless really do migrate to areas where there is no enforcement,” the governor said. “So, we know that, on a going-forward basis, we will have to have some program of compassionate disruption, just as the city does.”
Scott Morishige, the state homelessness coordinator, said organizations are reaching out to help people move into shelters or more permanent housing, and have helped 11 people get off the street since Oct. 16. He added outreach teams are doing the same on other parts of Oahu, and are collecting data on homeless people in Waianae, Wahiawa and Waimanalo.
“We really are trying to follow national best practice, which includes giving advance notice before any type of enforcement effort, making sure that you have procedures in place to inform people about the resources that are available, and continuing to really closely monitor the shelter vacancy to make sure that we have sufficient space,” he said.
The yearly point-in-time homeless survey, taken early this year, counted 1,241 homeless people on Hawaii Island, a sharp increase from the 869 tallied in 2014 and more than twice the 2013 total of 557.
Homeless in East Hawaii can be found at night sleeping in local parks, including the Wailoa River State Recreation Area and the county’s Mooheau Park in downtown Hilo.
As for expanding enforcement of park hours to the Neighbor Islands, the governor said the state is “working with the mayors in each county, trying to understand what their situation is.”
“One of the reasons for the emergency proclamation initially was to expand service providers, to ensure that we have service providers statewide,” Ige said. “So, we definitely are working with the counties, in order for us to be able to implement the lessons in Kakaako throughout the state.”
Last week, Ige announced the allocation of $1.3 million under the emergency proclamation to address the homelessness issue statewide, and Morishige said $607,100, about 45 percent, will go to the Neighbor Islands, including funding to address the needs of the chronically homeless, many of whom refuse to check into homeless shelters.
“In the emergency proclamation, we did increase the level of funding for the Housing First program, not only on Oahu, but also on the Neighbor Islands,” Morishige said. “That was intentionally done to target the chronically homeless individuals that we know have a higher level of needs. We need access to permanent housing quickly. So, as outreach workers are going into both parks, they’re not only offering access to shelters, they’re offering access to Housing First and other permanent housing programs, as well.”
Kenoi said there currently are “no plans for any sweeps like the ones we have been seeing in Kakaako” but officials here “will continue the enforcement actions that we have already been undertaking.”
“Our Community Policing officers are in our communities every day, and regularly patrol areas where homeless people congregate. Those officers coordinate and collaborate with service organizations to connect those who want help with the help they need,” the mayor said.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
