When it comes to Oahu’s homeless, the road to resolution has been like a potholed street that’s been patched, then hit hard with rain, only to be exposed with cavities once more.

Among the latest potholes was the city’s new distinction of having the largest number of homeless of any small U.S. city, which shows the gravity of the situation.

A U.S. Housing and Urban Development report confirmed what many here already knew: that Honolulu is a haven for the homeless.

The study found more than 4,900 homeless in Honolulu, which represents the number of unsheltered individuals counted on one night in January. But it’s painfully clear that the problem is much worse, given a point-in-time count that found 7,620 across the state.

An even deeper crater surfaced Thursday, when U.S. District Judge Helen Gillmor ordered city officials to stop the immediate disposal of property seized when clearing homeless from sidewalks — and to start videotaping items they destroy, then tagging before impounding what’s not trashed.

The ruling, put in place until a January hearing, will no doubt hinder, if not bring to a screeching halt, the city’s and the state’s needed efforts to clear encampments — and that’s unfortunate.

The city recently dismantled an entrenched homeless encampment in Kakaako, giving notice to those living on the streets and dumping what they left behind, including tarps and furniture.

The city’s methods are being challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union.

While some homeless people were placed in temporary or permanent housing following the homeless sweeps, many merely scattered into state-owned Kewalo Basin, Kakaako Waterfront Park and Point Panic.

Gillmor’s ruling, in effect, could allow the burgeoning encampments to become entrenched again — a mere repeat of the city’s struggle, and totally unacceptable.

Gov. David Ige needs to disclose his plan of action for Kakaako, after a scheduled Nov. 12 clearing failed to occur when a private crew couldn’t be found for the daunting task. It’s been over a week of silence and inaction there — and now, the added steps of the judge’s order only make the cleanup harder.

Ige did convene the first-ever Landlord Summit last week, hoping to pave the way for more rental units for homeless tenants. It was the start of a much-needed conversation to find more permanent housing for the homeless in the community.

As for the city: Good news came Friday from Mayor Kirk Caldwell, who heralded the $5.5 million purchase of two vacant Makiki school buildings that will be turned into Honolulu’s first "Housing First" project owned by the city to get people off the streets.

"It’s the first-of-a-kind for us," Caldwell told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s Dan Nakaso.

The two empty, adjacent buildings at Piikoi and Hassinger streets were previously owned by Island Paradise School and the Loveland Academy. By next summer, as many as 50 "micro" studio apartments could be ready for a mix of formerly homeless and low-income tenants — vital stock that can help chip away at homelessness.

Plenty of details still need to be worked out, but Caldwell considers the "Hassinger" project to be the first of many, which is welcome news at this stage.

Meanwhile, more temporary housing became available Wednesday, as the city and the Institute for Human Services opened the first phase of the awaited Hale Mauliola Housing Navigation Service Center at Sand Island. The center, which features repurposed shipping containers that include shower and restroom facilities, has a capacity of 34 so far, but will eventually be able to house 87.

But only seven people moved in last week, with another six coming in Monday. With the need for shelter so great, it was disappointing to see such meager numbers at the outset.

Officials are vowing more to be sheltered come the new year — and it’s crucial that this high-profile project live up to its promises soon.

It has been an eventful week in our U.S. small city with the highest homeless rate in the nation, with much more needed, and coming, down the road.

Let’s just hope our officials are able to patch the big potholes along the way.