The city’s stepped-up enforcement efforts have made significant progress in clearing sidewalks and other public spaces, but new encampments will appear until we have sufficient transitional and permanent housing units to place homeless individuals and families, with access to supportive services.

Mayor Kirk Caldwell created a first-ever dedicated crew of seven employees to enforce the Stored Property Ordinance (SPO) and park-closure laws, islandwide, all hours of the day.

He pushed for additional tools, and in 2013 signed into law the Sidewalk Nuisance Ordinance (SNO). Unlike the SPO, which requires 24-hour notice, the SNO allows for immediate removal of illegally placed items blocking sidewalks, keeping them open and safe for Oahu’s keiki, kupuna and all sidewalk users.

When we started this intense enforcement in 2013, the crew collected a weekly average of 11 to 13 tons of garbage, debris, pallets and shopping carts. Now that enforcement has consistently occurred for almost two years, the crew collects a weekly average of 4 to 8 tons.

This shows that consistent and repeated enforcement actions are having a positive impact.

Can you imagine what our city would look like if we weren’t doing this? It would be an unhealthy mess.

Our enforcement efforts cover the whole island. In the past three weeks alone, the enforcement crew has visited Kohou Street fronting Kapalama Canal twice; Iwilei, Aala Park and Chinatown; Blaisdell Park along Pearl Harbor; and Waipahu, Halawa, Keehi, Waikiki, Ala Moana Beach Park, Mother Waldron Park, Thomas Square, Sheridan Street, Vineyard Boulevard, Ala Wai Promenade, Stadium Park, Moiliili and Kapahulu.

It removed 18 tons of garbage and 79 shopping carts, and stored 10 bins of personal property. In the past year, it has removed 218 tons of debris. The crew will keep at it, every week, to keep our island safe and accessible.

In addition, in the past five months we have created a "roving patrol" comprised of two Parks and Recreation employees, one Department of Facility maintenance employee and one Honolulu Police Department officer who patrol hot spots and remove unwanted and illegally stored items on city sidewalks, parks and other public spaces.

These efforts also help prevent a buildup of illegally placed items, keeping our public spaces open to all.

Several locations on Oahu have sizable encampments. Many of the inhabitants are COFA (Compact of Free Association) migrants and transplants from the mainland. Others have serious mental-health issues.

Some encampments are on city property, like the embankment of the Kapalama Canal. Others are on state property, such as the area under the Nimitz Highway overpass or at the Waianae Boat Harbor, where the city does not have enforcement jurisdiction.

Enforcement in Kakaako has been challenging because of split jurisdiction with the state, Hawaii Community Development Authority and private property owners.

Enforcement alone is not going to eliminate these homeless encampments; they are just dispersed to other areas. The city administration hopes to be a part of the solution, which requires transitional and permanent housing units through Housing First, with access to wrap-around services. Our contract with the Institute for Human Services has already placed 74 individuals in Housing First units, and IHS is committed to housing 120 before year end. In the coming weeks, we will make an announcement about a temporary housing site.

The Office of Strategic Development (OSD) is busy creating affordable housing units islandwide. We’ve budgeted more money for housing than any administration in Honolulu’s history.

We need funding restored for OSD, if our enforcement actions are to make a permanent and long-term difference in moving people from living on our streets and parks, and into permanent housing.