Hawaii's homeless sweeps, what else is needed

Yahoo

21-03-2025

WAIMANALO, Hawaii (KHON2) — Officials continue to conduct homeless sweeps at public parks but it is not clear if the enforcement is putting a dent in the problem or pushing it down the road.
Enforcement on homeless encampments — otherwise known as sweeps — happen on a scheduled basis on Oahu. Those living on the street get a 24-hour notice before officials clear the area and while options for shelter are provided, they are not always optimal.
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'It's hard to convince them that there is a way out, there's a chance to kind of redo their lives because in the past, maybe they didn't have that trust,' said Department of Community Services Homeless Solutions director Roy Miyahira.
Dozens of City enforcements have been conducted in 2025, State officials also cleared out a decades-long encampment from just outside Waimanalo Beach Park on Friday, March 14.
'Obviously, if you do a sweep, you need places for people to go. And this, the people that left here, the last ones that were still here, they moved down the coast. So it is better for the neighbors. It's better for the park users, but it's not necessarily better for those people,' said House Human Services & Homelessness Committee chair Rep. Lisa Marten.
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The City Homeless Solution director said only about two out of every 10 homeless individuals they connect with during enforcement engage with the services provided to them.
CORE provides immediate medical assistance but Miyahira said more wrap-around services for mental issues or drug abuse are needed.
'So, for instance, if they're offering maybe substance abuse treatment along with more medical treatment, maybe having like a full service or array of services to them, that would be appealing,' he said.
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A point-in-time count of Hawaii's homeless population was not conducted in 2025 and will not be held again until 2026.
Latest numbers from 2024 showed just over 6,300 people experienced homelessness in the state.
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