City officials have suspended issuing camping permits at Nanakuli Beach Park because of the growing number of homeless people camping there illegally.

The park has 12 camp areas, but people who obtain permits often can't get a site because of illegal campers, said city spokes-man Bill Brennan. He said the suspension will last at least six weeks.

Brennan said there are no plans to sweep the park of illegal campers, and it will be up to police to enforce the no-camping ban. As of yesterday, he said, he didn't believe anyone had been asked to move out of the park.

Brennan did not specifically say what led the city to suspend camping at Nanakuli Beach Park in the past week.

"It was just a decision based on the reality of the situation out there," Brennan said.

But the chairwoman of the Wai'anae Coast Neighborhood Board yesterday questioned the city's motives, saying the homeless problem is widespread along the Leeward Coast. Cynthia Rezentes said there are at least 200 people living at Ma'ili Beach Park alone.

She estimated that there were 50 to 60 people camping illegally at Nanakuli Beach Park on any given day.

"I don't think there are any more or less concerns about (Nanakuli Beach Park) than any of the other beach parks along the Wai'anae Coast that are inundated with illegal camping, and they're not doing anything to the others," Rezentes said.

Brennan could not be reached for further comment last night.

Rezentes said the number of homeless people on the Wai'anae Coast increased after city officials closed Ala Moana Beach Park at night in late March. An estimated 200 homeless people were forced to find a new place to live, and many moved to a temporary shelter set up by state officials in Kaka'ako.

"When you kick them out of one area, they just migrate to the next area that's not having any enforcement," Rezentes said. "So if they're going to close Nanakuli Beach Park, I'm assuming that the other beach parks along this coastline are going to get hit even harder than they are now, because there are no plans to help these people."

Reach Curtis Lum at culum@honoluluadvertiser.com.