Maui to allow homeless to sleep in cars at county lot

Maui County is launching a one-year pilot program to allow residents who sleep in their vehicles to park overnight in a designated county-owned lot.

Before signing County Council Bill 108 on Thursday, Mayor Michael Victorino announced the J. Walter Cameron Center in Wailuku as the first site under the program, which officials hope to open in October to an initial group of 25 to 30 participants.

Overnight parking, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., will be available to registered participants, who must clear out of the lot in the morning to keep it open for regular public use.

The new ordinance creates an exception to current law prohibiting use of a vehicle for human habitation between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. while parked on public property.

Bill 108, introduced by Council member Kelly Takaya King of South Maui, was approved unanimously by the Council on Aug. 23. A report on the measure by the Council’s Affordable Housing Committee noted “the proliferation of houseless individuals throughout the County who have no choice but to sleep in their vehicles because of a lack of affordable housing and low-entry shelter options. These individuals often are employed, have families on the island, and have children who attend school.”

Share Your Mana, a group that advocates for the homeless and educates the public about the conditions they face, counted 789 homeless people in Maui County in 2020, including 375 temporarily living in three shelters and 414 living unsheltered in vehicles, tents, makeshift shelters or in the open.

The pilot project received an allocation of up to $200,000 in the fiscal year 2023 budget under the Department of Housing and Human Concerns’ Homeless Programs “to establish a safe zone or sleeping space for the houseless.”

The Cameron Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, has a long-term lease with the county for its property at 95 Mahalani St. The center houses 18 nonprofit agencies that offer a combined 100 programs serving 30,000 to 40,000 people annually, according to officials.

Victorino said the Cameron Center was chosen in collaboration with Council members because of its convenient location and services.

“This site is located centrally and close to social serv­ice providers that help those people who welcome the assistance,” Victorino said. “We are also adjacent to Maui Memorial Medical Center and the Maui Police Station so our program participants can feel comfortable, healthy and safe, and really be well received.”

Cameron Center Executive Director Cesar Gaxiola told the Honolulu Star-­Advertiser the center is waiting for the county to work out the details of a contract to oversee the pilot program. He said there are no eligibility requirements, but participants must register by providing a driver’s license, vehicle registration, proof of insurance and the names of all occupants.

The gravel parking lot to be used for overnight parking will be monitored by roving patrols and video cameras, Gaxiola said. Portable toilets, a hand-washing station and trash receptacles will be provided.

After a vehicle has stayed for two or three nights, the occupants will be asked how they are doing and whether they are in need of services, according to Gaxiola. He said he hopes to arrange for social service agencies at the center to have representatives on hand for a short time during the overnight parking period to provide information about their programs.

“I know this is not housing; it’s just basically a serv­ice while in transition, and hopefully they will soon be moving into housing. But we can provide a safe space for them (in the meantime),” he said.

Housing and Human Concerns Director Lori Tsuhako said the new program will have the full support of the county “to work out any issues so this can be an effective pilot program.” She also sought to reassure the community that her department will “carefully evaluate” the effort to ensure it achieves “what it’s designed to do.”

Victorino added, “We will do our best to make sure nothing happens that shouldn’t happen in this area.”

In comments to the Star-Advertiser, King disputed the mayor’s characterization that the location was chosen in collaboration with Council members, saying she was never consulted despite introducing the bill.

King, who unsuccessfully ran against Victorino in August’s mayoral primary election, said Share Your Mana also was shut out of the process by the county despite its “intimate knowledge” of the homeless community and its instrumental role in bringing about the legislation.

“I’m glad they are taking this seriously and that they wanted to get going on it, but doing it without the consultation of the people who created the legislation and the project just feels a bit shibai to me,” she said.

While welcoming the overnight-parking program, Share the Mana Executive Director Lisa Darcy noted it would benefit only a small number of homeless on Maui, which she said has a shortage of 600 to 700 shelter beds. She urged the county to be more innovative and committed in developing more shelters and permanent housing for the homeless.

“It’s the first step in that actually something different is going to be implemented,” she said.

Both Darcy and King also questioned the county’s apparent agreement to award the contract for the pilot program to the Cameron Center without a more formal selection process.

Victorino did not immediately respond to a Star-­Advertiser request for comment.