City and state work together for homeless

THE ISSUE The Waianae Civic Center has been opened to the homeless living on Leeward beaches.

CITY and state officials are making progress in creating shelter for Oahu's homeless and returning the beaches to recreational use. The city waited several months in banning overnight use of Maili Beach until the state's completion last week of a homeless shelter at the Waianae Civic Center. The cooperation is a vast improvement from disagreements a year ago.

People who have been living on Maili Beach because they could not afford rental housing began moving into the $7 million structure at Waianae. The state had put off its plans to make improvements to the beach until the shelter was ready to open.

The state earlier opened shelters for the homeless at Kakaako and Kalaeloa. The Waianae center will house as many as 300 people, less than half of the homeless who have been living along 16 miles of the Leeward Coast.

Many of the homeless have jobs but are unable to pay Oahu's high rent. They will be asked to pay U.S. Vets Hawaii, which operates the Waianae shelter, from $120 a month for singles to $216 for families following lesser rates for three months, but no one will be turned away if they lack the ability to pay, says director Darryl Vincent.