Homeless situation in Leeward

[kiki1]

Although Leeward Coast is one of the most beautiful areas of Hawaii, it has also gotten a bad reputation because of the homeless people living in tents on the beach or in one of the beach parks. Because of laws prohibiting living on beaches, many pack up each morning. They have a local school bus that picks up the homeless children tot ake them to school. And many of the adults have day jobs. They just don`t make enough money to have a hom of their own.

[lulu]

I know it may sound strange, but I have never associated Hawaii with homelessness. I guess they have just as many problems with the economy as we do in the mainlands. I`ve always thought of Hawaii as "oh wow" who wouldn`t love to live there. You know what I mean?

[nomad]

One of the major factors that brought about this homelessness is the high cost of housing in Oahu which the median families can ill afford. The median cost of a single family house in Leeward Oahu is $365,000.00 and housing at such cost is not always available.

To ease the situation Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit ecumenical Christian housing ministry builds simple, affordable and decent homes for the very low income families in Leeward Oahu.

[lulu]

Another problem is the mainlanders who move to the Islands or buy property there. It drives up the cost of housing sending more locals into economic hardship. Most of these mainlanders are either retired rich or independently wealthy. They don`t work in Hawaii.

[Redsky99]

That is very sad to hear about all of those homeless people, you would think there would be government assistance programs to help them with food and housing.

[lulu]

The state is trying to find existing state, federal, or private structures that can be converted into emergency shelters and transitional shelters. About 60 to 70% of the homeless are native hawaiians. 

[MamaLou]

What a shame.  I hate to see people without housing.  It seems like it should be one of the basics of all human lives to have a home to go to.