Homeless still waiting
at Kauai beach park
LIHUE >> Homeless campers at Hanamaulu County Beach Park struck their tents by a 10 a.m. deadline yesterday, but most stayed in the park waiting for county maintenance crews that never appeared.
To force the homeless out of county parks, Kauai Mayor Bryan Baptiste has given campers without permits until Nov. 16 to leave.
But the half-dozen families at Hanamaulu were told they had to be out yesterday because a three-week maintenance project was scheduled to begin, including cutting down dead trees in the campground. Parks officials rejected a suggestion that the campers be moved to an area of the park where no work was being done.
Parks Director Mel Nishihara said he was unaware work had not begun yesterday. He said it was possible there were not enough workers to put together a crew.
Most of the homeless at Hanamaulu are locals and Kauai natives. Most have jobs but none can afford housing.
The park is popular among the homeless because it is near potential work and is the only park near a school. The nearest alternative is Anahola County Beach Park, in a remote area without a nearby school or many employers.
Kauai is the only county with no homeless shelter, and Baptiste has offered no alternative for the beach parks. The seven county beach parks have long been unofficial shelters because they have campgrounds, bathrooms and showers.
Campers at county parks are required to have permits, which are good for up to 60 days a year. Many of the homeless have been camping without permits or on permits that will soon expire.
As of yesterday afternoon, a single tent remained at Hanamaulu. But many of the residents were in the pavilion just behind the beach, including a woman with a broken leg who owns the remaining tent.
Most said they would be sleeping "around Lihue," meaning sleeping in their vehicles on private property.
