Open letter to government officials from Wai'anae Coast residents

An Open Letter to the Governor, Mayor, StateLegislature and City CouncilMore than anyone else, Wai`anae Coast residents are grateful that the issue of homelessnesshas become a major issue for both the city and state governments. While we appreciate theattention and the urgency to do something, we offer these comments, in the sincere hope theseare helpful and fair to all concerned.We, the following Wai`anae Coast residents, believe the issue of addressing homelessness inour community must proceed with several underlying principles.• First and foremost is the understanding that this is not about “us” versus “them.” Many ofthe people living on our beaches are members of our `ohana and from our community. Thisissue cannot be allowed to divide us. Common ground and mutual benefit must be at the coreof our approach.• Our beaches belong to everyone, whether we have houses, or not. All of us are entitled tounimpeded access to use and enjoyment of our parks. No single person or persons owns thebeach or our parks. This joint ownership is established by laws and rules that govern all of us.There can be no exceptions. The laws must be applied and enforced equally, whether ourcommunities are in East Honolulu, the North Shore, or the Wai`anae Coast.• The issue of homelessness on the Leeward Coast and the need for a solution cannot restsolely on the shoulders of the Wai`anae Coast community. This is not a Wai`anae only problem.It is an island-wide and state-wide issue caused by conditions that are affecting, and in somecases caused, by policies and practices occurring throughout our state.• The Wai`anae Coast community has a responsibility to participate in resolving the issuesof homelessness. Many of those living on our beaches are from the Wai`anae Coast and they arefellow residents in need of our support – this is a responsibility we are willing to take. Manyliving on our beaches are not from our community. Other communities on O`ahu must alsoactively participate in addressing this issue as well.• We must also do our best to make sure the solutions do not create bigger problems thanthose we intend to correct. Expediency is needed but not at the expense of our community andits overall health and wellness.The following are our recommendations:Immediate Actions (Things we can do or start now)• Work with local agencies and groups to conduct a “census” of the population we areattempting to serve. How many people and families are we talking about? How many arechildren and what ages are they? How many are working and/or have other income to buildupon? How many have moved to Wai`anae as a last resort and how many are from Wai`anae

and will not utilize shelters outside of our community? We need as much information aspossible to help us better plan and be effective.• Determine how many homeless the Wai`anae community can assist and continue toshelter. Many people living on our beach parks do not come from the Wai`anae Coast. TheWai`anae community cannot absorb all of the homeless moving to Wai`anae to live on ourbeaches or in our mountains. Estimates of the houseless population on Wai`anae Coast beachesalone range from 1,500 to 4,000 people. This is the size of a small town.• Reframe the issue into its proper perspective. Wai`anae is not O`ahu’s, or Hawai`i’s,default community for its problems and hard issues. Assigning an individual or committee tocoordinate the issues of homelessness on the Wai`anae Coast does little to reduce our fears thatthis issue is being framed as a Wai`anae problem and not an island-wide issue.• Enforce existing laws and rules. Secure gates and barriers protecting beach parks fromvehicle traffic and enforce no parking rules for cars and trucks parking beyond these barriers.Enforce laws regarding alcohol consumption and drug use. Require continued permits andenforce permit requirements to ensure access to beaches and parks for everyone. Monitor healthconditions and waste management issues – remove rubbish and require compliance with basicpark use rules.• Begin conversations with other communities about their role in addressing this issue.Already other communities are concerned that those removed from Wai`anae Coast beacheswill end up in their areas.Short Term Actions (Things we can do by the end of the year)• Focusing emergency and temporary housing solutions only on the Wai`anae Coast placesan unfair and unmanageable burden on one community. This trend becomes even moreworrisome with proposals that only show solutions to be “located” in any of Waianae’sahupua`a and neighborhoods. Multiple sites are needed throughout O`ahu to mitigate theissues that would result from a massive emergency shelter. We recommend that emergencyshelters developed on the Wai`anae Coast for this purpose be temporary, house our fair portionof the homeless population and are integrated into the neighborhoods in which they are placed.• The economic health of our community is important to us. The increase in small businessesin the Makaha Marketplace and the Wai`anae Mall, the increased traffic at the Makaha Resortare improvements that provide increased employment and income for Wai`anae Coastresidents. Locating emergency shelters in or around these sites or in locations that will beharmful to the economic growth and health of the Wai`anae community is not acceptable.• Beach parks and shoreline areas should not be selected for emergency shelters. Thoseareas that are selected need access to water and sanitation. They need to provide security andneed to be manageable and managed. They need access to public transportation, neededservices, and where appropriate, should be near to schools. Understanding the individualneeds of homeless families and individuals is critical and locating people into emergency

shelters based on their needs and conditions is important. Finally, no properties should beselected that displaces existing residents or businesses.• Based on these criteria, selections should be made from the following sites. There need tobe manageable limits to the numbers sent to final sites and limits to the total number of peoplehoused on the Wai`anae Coast.Sites with Structures (that may or may not need improvements)• Kalaeloa (Barbers Point)• Tycom Building (Ma`ili)• Our Lady at Kea`au• The City of Joy Facility at Nanaikeola• Inafuku Farm (Maili)• Naval Ammunition Depot (NAD) – LualualeiSites with Structures (needing improvements or could be used for tents)• The Former Wai`anae Landfill• The Ruiz/Wong Dairy Property (mauka of Uluwehi)• The Former Voice of America Site (Maili)• Kili Drive (Mauka of Farrington Highway)• Sphere Property along St. John’s Road in Ma`ili• Wai`anae Valley Road (Taketa Farm)• Nanakuli Site B (near the old Nakatani Housing)• Hawaiian Homes Lands in Nanakuli and Lualualei• Longer term transitional shelters and permanent housing needs to be identified andconstructed on the Wai`anae Coast in 2007. Further community dialogue is needed to identifythese sites.• Sites are also needed in other parts of O`ahu for both emergency shelters, transitionalhousing and for permanent homes for low and moderate-income individuals and families. Inaddition to Kalaeloa, we recommend emergency shelters in all Council Districts, not justCouncil District Nine.Longer Term Actions• The State of Hawai`i needs to evaluate and re-examine public policies regarding thosewith mental illness. To simply leave these people to fend for themselves is unconscionable. Weneed more humane approaches that recognize their special needs and treat them with morealoha than we do now.• The State of Hawai`i needs to evaluate and establish policies relating to real estateinvestment practices and housing that inflate housing costs beyond the reach of Hawai`iresidents. Develop a state plan for housing.

• We need more affordable rental housing and homes for low and moderate-incomeresidents. We need to expand Hawaiian Home Lands development on the Wai`anae Coastincluding exploring land swaps to establish DHHL properties in Makaha and Ma`ili.• Allow Wai`anae Coast home owners to apply for `Ohana Zoning so that families in ourcommunity can participate in the solution.ConclusionWe realize that this is a complex issue that will require the participation of every communityon O`ahu to resolve. As a community, the Wai`anae Coast has, and will continue to do itspart. We the undersigned agree to immediately convene community meetings to discuss whatour fair share of this issue should be.Now is the time for other communities on O`ahu to rise to the occasion as well.