Photo and caption from a March 2010 Seattle Times article: "Bert Beaman is Hawaiian, homeless, and lives with his wife at Oahu's Keaau Beach Park: 'It's been far too long for the Hawaiian people to be suffering.'"Aloha - Please see the notice below of a 6/10/10 meeting at Wai`anae Satellite City Hall where the potential clean up/closure of Kea`au Beach Park will be discussed. I have also included an update on homeless issues after the meeting announcement.
Waianae Coast Neighborhood Board
Parks and Recreation Committee Meeting Agenda
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Wai’anae Neighborhood Community Center
85 670 Farrington Highway
7:00P.M. - 9:00P.M.
I. Call to Order/Welcome
II. Announcements/Community Concerns
III. Previous Business Update
A. Makua Kaena State Park updates
i. Keawaula permit pilot project
ii. Primitive camping at Makua Beach Park
B. City & County Park updates to include
i. City clean up of parks and homeless
ii. Park improvements: repairs, infrastructure and continued maintenance/upkeep
C. Waianae Baseline Environmental Study
IV. Open Discussion
A. Clean up of Keaau Beach Park and unimproved beach park area known as Waikomo
B. Closure of Keaau Beach Park
C. Permit process for park closure access
V. Adjournment
THE WAIANAE COAST NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD NO. 24 IS A DRUG/ALCOHOL FREE COMMUNITY MEETING.
THE WAIANAE COAST NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD NO. 24 MEETING IS BROADCAST MONTHLY ON OLELO.
BOARD MINUTES AND AGENDAS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE CITY’S WEB SITE AT:
http: www.honolulu.gov
ANY DISABLED PERSON REQUIRING SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS TO PARTICIPATE AT THIS MEETING MAY CALL THE NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION OFFICE AT 768-3790 FOR ASSISTANCE.
HOMELESS UPDATE
Homelessness remains as a significant issue on the Wai`anae Coast. Here is an update:
Ma`ili Point: The City is planning a sweep on 7/19/10. Service providers are trying to assist the homeless prior to the sweep. After the sweep, the City will conduct a clean up, and install signs of violations like all other City Parks have so that the police will be able to enforce the law, should it be broken.
Kea`au Beach: The City is enforcing Bills 7 and 8, which ban tents and shopping carts, in the developed portion of the beach. The City is working on a plan for the undeveloped portion of the park. Both local and mainland news covered Kea`au in March 2010 - click here to view KITV's coverage of a beach clean up, and click here to view coverage of how Hawaiian sovereignty and homelessness are connected.
The Legislatureate legislature passed several measures:
-- HB 2318 Establishes a $1m Housing First Special Fund, which has been successful in other states, and aims to get the chronically homeless off the street and into stable housing, where they can better address related issues such as job training, employment and healthcare.
-- SB 2469 Appropriates $23m for safety net services, including $200,000 for the Shelter Plus Care program, which provides rental assistance payments in conjunction with a program of supportive services to disabled persons.
-- HCR262/SCR206 Requests the establishment of a Wai`anae Coast homelessness task force (WCHTF), under the leadership of the Leeward Housing Coalition, which will also consist of representatives from neighborhood boards, community organizations, DHS, DOH, UH, LCC, OHA, DHHL, City, HCDA, and KSBE. The WCHTF’s aim is to submit a progress report, including findings, recommendations, and proposed legislation, to the 2011 Legislature.
Rep. Shimabukuro agrees with the goal of many in the community, including service providers, area residents, HPD, and Russ Saito of the Governor’s homeless “H.E.A.R.T.” program, that the long-term solution includes the establishment of legal campgrounds for the homeless. I believe these campgrounds should not be on the beach, and they should be located at various locations across the state. Although the Legislature considered several measures aimed at achieving this goal, unfortunately the measures did not survive. We as a community need to come to a consensus regarding the location and management of these campgrounds, and continue to push hard for this solution.
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