City right to return parks to public use
There is simply no one-step solution to Hawai'i's chronic problem of homelessness. Accepting that reality, it's easy to applaud the mayor's new cleanup program, Malama o Waikiki, as a positive step toward beautifying one of Honolulu's urban oases, Kapi'olani Park.
Last night the Hannemann administration began the second phase of the program, which effectively discourages vagrancy at the parks along the shoreline. Kuhio Beach's four pavilions have been closed for morning cleanings already; now the focus turns toward needed maintenance of the grassy areas of Kapi'olani.
Further bathroom closures are scheduled to start on Monday. Starting April 20, Kapi'olani Park closes nightly, starting at midnight in the mauka sections.
Rousting the homeless from Waikiki public spaces certainly won't solve the problem: For the working poor, who are simply seeking a safe place to sleep, there are few options in East Honolulu for emergency shelter. Relocating to the Institute for Human Services or Next Step may not be a tenable alternative. Government should seek more emergency accommodations in more parts of O'ahu.
The advantage of a shelter is that it provides easier access to social services for homeless families who need help getting back on their feet. In the meantime, the community should expand on outreach efforts in Waikiki already being made by city police and social service agencies.
For people who don't want to be fenced in at a shelter, the best option is to keep them moving along rather than setting up residence. The extensive cleanup has already pushed them to relocate in other parks, so the city must ramp up its vigilance in those community spaces as well.
So far the city is making do with current resources to manage the cleanup; continuing this effort and expanding it will require help, in the form of public-private partnerships and volunteer labor.
Homelessness is a complex problem that must be tackled on myriad fronts. But in the short term, keeping the parks clean and welcoming to all is a mission all community members should embrace.
