Swept away

An effort to clean up Leeward beaches puts the homeless in limbo

People living in tents on Maili Beach might be asked to relocate as city officials begin cleaning and repairing Waianae Coast beaches today and over the next several months.

"We're not affecting large numbers of the homeless," Mayor Mufi Hannemann said. "Everything's going to be done voluntarily."

But some homeless people along the Waianae Coast said they have already been approached by police officers warning them about sweeps.

Alice Greenwood, 60, who has been staying in the northern part of Maili Beach Park near Makona Street, is afraid she might have to move.

She said police approached her Friday and told her they were going to do a sweep.

"They said when they sweep, we can never come back," she said.

Eric Burch and Ginger Hala, who live near Greenwood at Maili Beach, also said undercover police approached them Saturday and told them to move by today. Hala said they could ride their bikes to another park, but moving their belongings would be difficult.

Michael Ullman, who is coordinating a head count of the homeless for Waianae Community Outreach, said park dwellers in several areas were told they were going to be swept by today.

"We heard time and time again, they've already been threatened they need to leave," Ullman said.

He said 70 people volunteered to help with the count.

"Overall, it went really well. We had a lot of new community members," said Ullman, who expects to have a count available in a couple days.

Despite warnings to move, Burch agreed with the city's efforts to fix the parks.

"It needs to be cleaned," he said.

City crews are expected to begin cutting branches and clearing brush from Farrington Highway by Tracks Beach Park today.

The city will close the southern side of Maili Beach Park from across St. John's Road to Palani Street beginning at 10 a.m. next Monday for four days. Crews plan to complete heavy maintenance and renovate the bathrooms in the area.

Hannemann expects few people will be affected because those areas have not attracted many homeless or are locations where people have been asked to relocate before.

In mid-September, city crews are scheduled to close the northern end of Maili Beach Park and complete similar work.

Hannemann said the work will be similar to the cleanup work finished at Pokai Bay and at Waianae District Park.

"There's a balance between making sure the homeless have a place to go and families that want to come back," Hannemann said.

Once the bathrooms -- also known as comfort stations -- are renovated, a community group will be asked to maintain the buildings, Hannemann said.

Loria Sacro, a resident who lives across the street from Maili Beach, cannot wait until the city finds a solution for the homeless living on the beach.

Sacro, who moved to the Leeward side to be closer to the beach eight years ago, said she does not use the beach because of the homeless population.

"Yesterday, we went by Kapolei (to swim)," she said.

Homeless along the Waianae Coast share similar stories to those who were moved from Ala Moana Park earlier this year.

Greenwood, who lives with her 5-year-old adopted son, Makalii, lost her apartment after her landlord died in mid-July, she said.

"I have no choice," said Greenwood. Although some people offered her a place to stay, she said, "I decided why put a hardship on everybody else -- they're all having problems."

Greenwood blames the island's high rental costs for forcing her to become homeless.

"It's not only ourselves that's put us into this predicament. It's the government," for allowing costs to be so high, she said.

Beach cleaning Upcoming actions to clean up the Waianae Coast: » Beginning today, clear brush on Farrington Highway near Tracks Beach park. » From next Monday at 10 p.m. to Sept. 8 at 5 a.m., closing the southern end of Maili Beach Park from St. John's Road to Palani Street for maintenance and renovation to the comfort station. » From Sept. 17 at 10 p.m. until Sept. 22 at 5 a.m., closing the northern end of Maili Beach Park to a point past Alapaki Street for heavy maintenance and renovation of the comfort station. » In October, closing the comfort station at Cove Beach Park for a few days of renovation. » In November, closing the Tracks Beach Park comfort station for a few days during renovation. Beaches and parks will remain open in both areas, and portable toilets will be provided. » In November or December, closing a portion of Nanakuli Beach Park to begin construction on the Nanakuli canoe halau.