Question: This letter is in regards to a certain homeless lady who has a spot at the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Park on Hotel and Bethel streets as her permanent (24/7) place of residence. I live across the street at the Chinatown Gateway Apartments (subsidized by Section 8/HUD) and have seen the transients come and go along with the free meals (that used to be) served there. Besides the city sweeps that have been in the news of late, the cold and rainy nights can be the worst of it. Can this homeless lady be rescued? — Sincerely, a concerned neighbor

Answer: The Honolulu Mayor’s Office of Housing website urges anyone who sees a homeless person on Oahu who might need assistance to contact the Homeless Help Line at homelesshelp@waikikihc.org or 791-9359. Email is preferred.

We reached out on your behalf, supplying, as the website advises, the location of the homeless person, the time when he or she is known to frequent that place, and any identifying information about the person, including a physical description. (You described her as blond, middle-age and Caucasian.)

Callers also must supply their name and email address or phone number, in case additional information is needed to find the person. Emails and calls can be placed 24 hours a day. After a report is received, an outreach team visits the homeless person as soon as possible to offer shelter and services, according to the website.

The Homeless Help Line is operated by the Waikiki Health Center Care-A-Van program. The nonprofit coordinates with other outreach agencies to cover the most territory quickly. In this case the request will be forwarded to the Institute for Human Services, which covers Chinatown. (You could also contact IHS directly, at IHSOutreach@ihs-hawaii.org).

The help line staffer we spoke to declined to discuss specific cases, to protect client and patient privacy. However, based on past media reports of a chronically homeless woman in Chinatown who fits the description you gave, we believe the person you’re worried about has resisted entering a shelter or seeking mental health treatment in the past.

The government can’t force homeless people to accept help, according to the website, which also notes that “pursuant to the current laws in Hawaii, it is very difficult for a government agency to commit an individual to a hospital or other treatment facility without the consent of the individual.”

Q: Our neighbor’s yard is slightly higher than our property and separated by a retaining wall. My neighbor just completed construction of a new house that is slab on grade. The previous house was built on many “tofu” blocks so rainwater could easily be absorbed into the soil. Prior and during construction I spoke to both the owner and contractor about my concern that runoff should not come onto our property. The new slab-on-grade construction presents an impermeable area that will not allow water to be absorbed. … During the recent rains, there was significant ponding on their property that did not occur before. In addition, water gushes through the retaining wall almost like a water hose, onto our property. … I am concerned that the retaining wall will not be able to withstand the increased hydrostatic pressure of the saturated soil that it now has to retain. The wall is cracked in several places, and this past week, several large rocks fell off the wall onto our property. If the retaining wall were to collapse in a heavy rain, it would fall onto our property. … We have spoken to the owners several times, and they believe they did nothing wrong and that it’s our problem. … Where I can go for help?

A: Call the Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting’s Customer Service Office at 768-8127 to file a complaint. The proc­ess should include having a city inspector check whether there are any violations of the building plans or other construction-related infractions that have caused or contributed to the flooding problem.

If the house was constructed to code, this might turn out to be a civil matter between neighbors. Rather than filing a lawsuit, you might choose to seek professional mediation. Perhaps your neighbor could be guided to share the cost of improving the retaining wall or installing an underground drainage system, if that would help.

Here are two mediation resources in Honolulu: mediatehawaii.org and 808ne.ws/1knS89X.

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.