Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell announced Thursday that the city will resume the enforcement of the storage property and sidewalk nuisance ordinances in the Kakaako homeless encampment after Labor Day.
The “phased enforcement” will begin Sept. 8 on Ilalo Street, adjacent to the highest concentration of tents and tarp structures near the Hawaii Children’s Discovery Center on Ohe and Olomehani streets.
Caldwell said notices about the upcoming action will be posted in the area Monday.
Mayor Kirk Caldwell announces the city will be resuming sweeps in the Kakaako homeless encampment after Labor Day.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
The announcement of new sweeps, which have not occurred at the encampment since late last year, came after the fifth weekly meeting of Gov. David Ige’s leadership team, which now includes U.S. Reps. Mark Takai and Tulsi Gabbard.
Scott Morishige, who began his tenure as the governor’s coordinator on homelessness Monday, said the leadership team has been working with homeless service providers to make sure enough shelter spaces are available for up to 25 people — mostly singles and couples — who are expected to be displaced by the initial sweep.
According to a survey conducted during the week of Aug. 3, nearly 300 people — including 31 families — were living at the Kakaako encampment. The leadership team has so far helped about 10 percent of the population, 28 people, to move into Next Step and Institute for Human Services shelters.
Caldwell said the city has been in talks with private landowners in the area, such as Kamehameha Schools and Cutter Auto, to make sure that homeless people won’t be trespassing on their property during the sweep.
The timing of additional sweeps in the encampment’s other sections will be determined once the Sept. 8 action is carried out and its performance is evaluated, Caldwell said.
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