Community would help homeless if a good solution is presented

The homeless people who stubbornly set up camp along the Kakaako Waterfront were rousted (again), offered help and temporary shelter (again) but instead (again) took up residence a few blocks mauka on another public space, Mother Waldron Park.

Absolutely no one is surprised.

Now that the homeless camp at Mother Waldron Park has been given notice, everyone knows what will happen next. The only question is where. It’s a seemingly endless game of chasing people out, offering them help they don’t want and waiting to see where they pitch their tents and tarps next.

The way we’re dealing with homelessness isn’t working.

It’s better than doing nothing, which was the approach for too long, but the time for telling folks to move along has passed. The problem has grown beyond that approach.

Recently the city Office of Housing printed info cards meant to be given to homeless people and panhandlers instead of handing them cash. The cards have phone numbers that homeless people can call to get help. The idea is that handing a homeless person a couple of dollars will only help finance their current situation. Giving them information on where to get help will, hopefully, encourage them to make better choices for themselves. Yeah. It’s pretty hopeful. Nothing wrong with hope, but the problem has grown beyond that, too.

You can sense the larger community’s struggle over how to feel about the homeless. It’s a confusing mix of compassion for the less fortunate and frustration over a situation that doesn’t get any better and anger over people who stubbornly cling to a lifestyle choice that is so far from societal norms like health, safety, stability and dignity. There’s also fear tied to the stories of violence, theft and vandalism and sorrow for the children who are living like this. It’s one thing to shoo away a drug addict asking for spare change. It’s quite another to think of a kid trying to do homework by the light of a camping lantern.

People want to help. They really do. Sometimes the community gets sick and tired and really sour about donating money, time, park space and soap to a problem that refuses to go away. People don’t want to feel like suckers, but deep down the will of the community is there.

We’re all waiting for the big solution.

Remember when we used to talk about dangerous youth gangs taking over Hawaii? We worried about what approach would work. Do they need organized sports? A stable adult influence? The threat of incarceration? Job skills and religion?

In the end, those miscreant youths ended up growing up and finding other things to do. Not that there aren’t gangs anymore, but we no longer lose sleep wondering whether the neighbor kid’s red bandanna is some sort of evil symbol. With kids there’s always the hope they grow out of it. With chronic homelessness you hope somebody comes up with an idea that’s better than moving them along, handing them a phone number or shaking your head and looking away.

Reach Lee Cataluna at 529-4315 or lcataluna@staradvertiser.com.