Homeless camp meeting set for Tuesday

State and county officials will hold a public meeting Tuesday to discuss proposed government-sanctioned homeless camps in Hilo.

The proposed camps are simultaneously part of the state’s “kauhale” initiative to provide tiny homes for houseless individuals as transitional housing and part of the county’s “Safe Space” initiative, which establishes semi-permanent areas that homeless people can congregate without being subject to forcible removal by police.

One such proposed location, a parking lot between the Hilo State Building and the Hilo Lagoon Center, has been contentious among Hilo Lagoon Center residents and owners, who have cited security concerns and the site’s position within a tsunami evacuation zone.

Consequently, John Mizuno — Gov. Josh Green’s coordinator on homelessness and housing solutions — and county Housing Administrator Susan Kunz will hold a public informational meeting about “potential kauhale sites in Hilo” on Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Aupuni Center Conference Room.