The city is making progress in cleaning up Chinatown thanks to an increased police presence and other new projects, but more work is needed to deal with the homeless population in the area, residents said at a community meeting last night.

"Our concern really is the homeless," said Barbara Hao, a longtime resident of Chinatown. She said she believes many of the new homeless people in the area are coming from parks in Waikiki that have been closed at night in recent months.

Chu Lan Shubert Kwock, president of the Chinatown Business & Community Association, said it appears homelessness has increased in Chinatown recently. She added, however, that the community has long had a large number of homeless people.

"We'd like to address the homeless problem," she said.

Marsha Joyner, Arts District Merchants Association coordinator, added that the homeless create a sanitation problem because there are so few restrooms in the area open to the public.

"What we have is a basic sanitation problem because the homeless go to the bathroom on the street," she said. "Where are they going to go?"

About 30 people attended the meeting last night at Mission Memorial Auditorium, which included a city update on several new city initiatives kicked off in the wake of two recent violent attacks in Chinatown. Mayor Mufi Hannemann told residents that the city is committed to cleaning up the community and keeping criminals out.

The mayor added the city is aware of the homeless problem in Chinatown.

"It is an ongoing concern," he said.

Debbie Kim Morikawa, city Department of Community Services director, said concerns over homelessness spurred the city to survey businesses and eateries in Chinatown to find out which ones have bathrooms open to the public. She said the city has found several businesses that do.

"More than we thought," she said.

She said the city is also moving forward with a plan to build a 100-unit affordable housing project on River Street. The River Street Residences would serve urban homeless.

Police Chief Boisse Correa told residents a three-fold increase in patrol officers has helped crack down on crime.

"We've closed several gambling houses," he said. "Now, we're getting feedback that we have too many officers (in Chinatown)."

Residents and merchants called for more city involvement in Chinatown following the two attacks, which happened just yards from each other. In the first attack March 28, a man was fatally shot by two men at the intersection of River and Pauahi streets. Then, on April 3, a group of men stabbed a man and beat his female acquaintance.