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The city’s call for proposals to outfit old Honolulu buses with toilets and showers for homeless people generated several Kokua Line questions.
Readers wondered when the “mobile hygiene centers” would open, where they would be located and who exactly could use them. Office of Housing Executive Director Marc Alexander provided the following responses:
Question: When are they expected to open?
Answer: “The mobile hygiene centers are expected to be operational by the end of 2017.”
Q: Where will they be located?
A: “The request for proposals (RFP) asked service-provider applicants to identify areas of need for hygiene services across the island of Oahu. The project augments local government outreach contracts with service providers who have knowledge of geographic areas in need of hygiene services.”
Q: Will use be limited to certifiably homeless people, as opposed to tourists traveling on the cheap (backpackers, etc.)?
A: “The project is designed to meet the hygiene needs of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in areas without access to showers.
“Project clients will not need to provide documentation showing their homeless status to use the mobile hygiene center. Our intention is to make these services as low-barrier as possible to encourage clients to take more positive steps toward improving their situation.”
Q: If they are meant only for homeless people, how will the city keep them from being used by others?
A: “The project is based off of the Lava Mae mobile hygiene center, which has operated in San Francisco since 2014 while serving the same target population. In San Francisco’s experience, the hygiene center has been used almost exclusively by people who are experiencing homelessness.”
The city’s RFP, which had a May 10 submission deadline, was limited to nonprofit organizations and makes available $400,000 to retrofit and operate two decommissioned city buses as mobile hygiene centers on Oahu. The concept has been successful in San Francisco, as Alexander noted, and has since expanded to Los Angeles.
The most recent census of Hawaii’s homeless population found that there were 4,959 homeless people on Oahu, including 2,324 unsheltered people, those not staying in homeless shelters or other supportive housing. These unsheltered people, living under highway overpasses, in parks, on beaches and other public spaces, are the intended users of the future mobile hygiene units.
Q: Please clarify the tow-away zone signs that specify “school days only.” Does that mean the regular school year only and does not include summer school?
A: Yes. “These tow-away signs are intended to restrict parking near schools during the regular school year. The parking restrictions do not include summer school sessions,” said Jon Nouchi, deputy director of the city’s Department of Transportation Services.
Auwe
Auwe to the driver who bumped a parked car in the doctor’s office parking garage on Tuesday. There didn’t seem to be any damage to the bumper, but the driver’s oblivious attitude as he repeatedly hit the car while backing out of his own parking space was alarming. Did he even realize he’d hit the car, and more than once? It didn’t seem like it. — Fellow elderly driver
Mahalo
On May 7, my sister and I had lunch at Kaneohe Zippy’s. When paying my bill, I used my charge card and put cash on the table for the tip. By mistake I also wrote the tip down on the charge receipt. On the way out the waitress got my attention to make the correction. I’m sorry I forgot her name. She is such an honest employee and a good waitress. — Mahalo, a reader
Write to “Kokua Line” at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
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