The Biggest Problem with Hawaii's Homeless Problem (a local's perspective) 

Having just read through the first bunch of comments, I really appreciate the active discussion. Even if we can't all agree on the methodology, I'm glad we can acknowledge that something more needs to be done. 🤙

To answer this problem you have to do an investigation into who makes money on bringing the drugs to the island, and who makes money by pretending to want to fix the homeless problem. Corruption pays; There's a lot of corruption in high places in Hawaii. Those who are benefiting from the condition of the poor and addicted, don't live or work around it and they don't care.

Homelessness is getting worse everywhere.😕

As someome who has spent a lot of time talking to the homeless on Oahu, i can confirm that nost homeless dont want homes, they want drugs.

I'm sorry, unko Chris but. I disagree, brah. Yes the substance abuse is there but the real problem in Hawaii is definitely lack of affordable housing. It's the main key reason why so many are actually quietly homeless. We don't hear about them because unlike the crazy one's the quiet one's suffer in silence. The majority is normal Kama Aina just no can afford standard fair lifestyle no more and paradise. I when ask my anty and unko guys, kapuna born n raised and other friends situations. The housing market crisis is definitely #1 problem in Hawaii to homeless situation. No offense but the substance abuse people are not the most important focus. They are a distraction to the real truth people are very uncomfortable to talk about modern day Hawaii. Eh' cuz, you know what they say. Da kine tru'ta hurt. Aloha from a priced out of paradise family near Dallas outskirts Texas from a Hawaiian family born and raised Big Island and Oahu over the years. 🤙🏽🌴,🥲

100% the drug problem on Hawaii needs attention. Isn't it strange how one of the worlds most remote islands (where almost everything goes through customs/ports/inspections) still has a HUGE illegal drug trade? Makes you wonder who is allowing the drugs to flow in (and how much money they must be making off the backs of the people they're killing). Government must be involved at some level; no doubt about it. That said, affordable housing for all is definitely a noble goal, and something we should strive for. In order to achieve that, though, these deeper issues with society must be resolved. Or else we're just shufling the problem areas around. Instead of parks being slums, we'll have slummy apartments, unsafe to live in. Which is better? Or worse? In the end, we must first treat the corruption or our people; curb/control the flow of drugs (which shouldn't be that hard; it's an island after all), remove corrupted officials, restore some element of order to our society, and the scale of the problem will lessen with time. There will always be some homeless people (and drug abusers at that), sure, but not at the scale we're seeing on Oahu. Hopefully we'll be able to come together and solve this once and for all!

Have you ever thought about running for office in your local area? Your perspective I think is very beneficial and something the locals would appreciate because it comes from the heart of someone they trust. Aloha from San Diego 🤙🏽 God bless 🙏🏽

My friend works at a homeless shelter and she tells me how a lot of homeless people brag about how much money they made from begging and how it almost always goes to drugs. I know its sad to see a fellow human deteriorate before your eyes but giving them money is only making things worse. Mahalo for the video, substance abuse is a huge problem, I hope more people continue the conversation.

I remember pre 911 there was a large homeless community that lived at the airport. You would’ve never known these people were homeless. Most of them worked. Some with good jobs. But they were down on their luck and the airport provided safety and clean bathrooms. After all these years I still think about and wonder where all those airport homeless went after 911.

As a citzen of Washington i can agree that the homelessness crises is worse because of subatance abuse. The state is dealing with a fentanyl crisis and its has affected how people behave. I was planning to take a trip to Seattle during spring break but had to retracted after hearing that someone at the hotel we wanted to stay got stabbed all for a cellphone.

I work in the substance abuse field. I think you did a great job of nailing the problem. Treatment in general doesn't work for most people and it certainly doesn't work for most people the first time around. It's an overpriced one size fits all solution that is a fair offering but not very good overall. Maintenance therapies can be helpful but if people want to continue to use drugs and use them on the street and laws aren't enforced it makes the problem worse. Remember too that the opposite of addiction isn't sobriety, the opposite of addiction is connection. We have disconnected people out there which the addiction only exacerbates. I'm not sure what to tell you being that there's plenty of jobs available and other things to get off the street but if it's just easier to stay high live on the sidewalk destroy property rummage to garbage cans and throw the litter all over the place without any caring for one's fellow human, all the treatment housing or other things in the world won't make a difference. People should be housed, that said laws should also be enforced. Letting people live on the street only makes the problem worse.

You would be crazy to try to model a solution after what Seattle is doing. And Portland is even worse. I haven't seen a major city on the West coast that is managing this well. It's clear that mental health and drug abuse are major factors. It's hard to tell if the homelessness drove them to these other problems or if its the other way around.

It all starts with your family and family values. When I walk the parks almost every day I can watch and listen how people interact especially adults/ parents with kids as small as 2-3 year old. I watch and can hear what language is used " f... this f... that " to communicate right in front of their kids. This is how you grow up ? Is this your guideline for your adult life? That's how you going to talk and work later at your job? You think you have a real shot at your future ? Homeless, you become one for many reasons one definitiv is how you grew up in your house as a child that marks who will become. Family values is the foundation for the rest of your life, just listen next how people interact with children around.

This seems like a really dumb take. It's very simple as to why there are homeless people in Hawaii. Extreme cost of living. Rent is unaffordable, gas, utilities, groceries, overall cost of living are not feasible. The jobs you can get are limited and too competitive AND don't pay much. The people on the streets turn to drugs because there is nothing else left at that point. Many people living on the island have 2-3 jobs and live paycheck to paycheck. It only takes a few bad things to happen in a row and they end up homeless.

Japanese homeless don't want to burden others, where as the homeless here expect things... hand outs. I'm about the same age as you and Hawaii has changed so much over the last decade. My hugest pet peeve is when they J walk while taking their time and endangering others and themselves... zero F's given

I wanna take this time to apologize to you for judging you so harshly in the past. I’m taking a step back and listening to your contacts better and trying to understand you better. You genuinely care about your community and I think it’s a really good thing. Hopefully this will encourage you to possibly run for public office so that you can help make positive changes for the Hawaiian islands and native Hawaiians specifically. So I hope you accept my apology and I plan to sit back and observe and listen better in hopes to understand and find common ground on things I might disagree with. I will like your content and try to encourage people to view your RU-vid. Aunty Shawna

how do you compare a person with potential to buy a "decent" proterty with the homeless who just need a tent, Making a campsite for the homeless isnt that difficult, just like hot spots for refugees, Why do all big counties just let them out in the streets? It looks like its on purpose

Are we wrong to assume, that there are current laws in place that make it illegal to be "living" on a sidewalk, a grass strip, on the hillside of the freeway, at the beach, etc? And, if so, why do the police drive by and allow this illegal activity to continue? Has law enforcement changed to the point that you "wait" for someone to make a formal complaint? (i.e. how long did it take for the row of tents across from the Convention Center to be cleared?) It's ridiculous that the city/state requires you to get a camping permit, yet we have a lot of homeless "camping" for free. How come? Don't laws apply to everyone? Regardless if you are homeless or not, if you don't want to comply with existing laws, then you are choosing to be arrested and/or cited.

It’s not just that mental health issues cause homelessness, homelessness also causes mental health issues! Try living on the streets for a week, and see what happens!

This a multifaceted problem. The different stakeholder agencies and community groups must first be identified. (Include the police department and judges). Tougher laws on the drug dealers. (I don't know if Hawaii has Drug courts that deal this specific issue). They need all need to work together. Stop the bureaucratic silos that slow progress. Form an accountable Task Force that brings everyone to the table. Let everyone know what the other is doing. No more duplication of effort. Form an overall strategy that all parties including the homeless have input. Work with Governor and legislators who are will to put money and authority into this Task Force. The State government can get private and federal grants. Publish where the money is being spent in the newspaper. Get the media behind this effort. Find out who is obstructing the Taskforce and name names. Start with the easiest and work each problem in chunks. Identify the people who are will to be the champions and the worker bees on front line. Social worker are angels in disguise. Treat them well. Follow and analyze data to determine what is working and what is not. Stop wasting energy and time on projects with minimal returns. Start with the low hanging fruit. Get things done, assure the program is working and then move on. Out of the box thinking. As in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seattle, homelessness is not going away. In Hawaii, the homeless will start attacking local people. Crime, theft and prostitution will go up to pay for drug habits. Stores will close because they are being robbed or afraid for their customers and staff. Car break ins and garage thief will also skyrocket. Stop those who prey on the homeless. This a lot of work but it has to be done. No more "woe is me" from locals. Go to the schools to educate and activate / rally locals students and parents to plug in and donate time. Just do it.

This population tends towards treatment resistance. Substance abusers need to buy into wanting to be clean and sober. Even when they do relapse, is common. Mentally ill persons often refuse precibed medication because they don't like the side effects or prefer to self medicate with alcohol or street drugs. There is no one or easy solution for everyone. A really great outreach program would be a start.

Aloha Chris! Once again, you've nailed it while being compassionate and not commenting out of emotion alone like most people do. I know it's not simple, but I feel there's two basic categories we can start with. 1. Want help? - let's do what we can to help you. 2. Don't want help and don't want to be told what to do? Go directly to jail/tent city. You don't get to set up camp wherever you want. Yes, we need more prison space but can we stop building billion dollar prison hotels? Sorry, save that for another discussion...

It is everywhere, even to the point the working class are living in vans or SUV. My son just moved from the island of Kauai He stated that the homeless there have the best weather, he met a black guy there homeless, who moved there 7yrs ago, and was just stuck there. It's sad ! Many people are stuck in addiction, no direction. My son said he was truly a nice man just lost, the guy was like somewhere from California. Stuck and lost for that long😢

In many studies they have found that prolonged exposure to poverty and the stress of the high cost of living and low wages causes mental illness, substance abuse, and homelessness. The findings show that most substance abuse, addiction, and mental illness is caused by economic disparity and prolonged poverty, and that leads to homelessness. The solution is to reduce poverty, reduce the stress of economic disparity, and to reduce the economic causes of poverty, like housing. The strategy should gravitate toward Universal Basic Income and substance abuse, addiction and mental illness help which is the right path forward.

Is substance abuse caused by high cost of living? I am not sure. I left some food on the street today. It was gone by the end of the day. Go to China, or another US cities to see how big the issue is. How about the US at war 91% of its life, not investing in education, healthcare, and veteran services? How about building tinyhomes or mobile homes in HI? Duplexes, Rowhouses...etc. Why are people moving away from HI?

Problem is also that we are not asking the right questions and publishing the right responses. I spoke with someone that was way up there in government trying to solve Hawaii’s homeless. He said the surveys are wrong. What is asking is ‘have you been living in Hawaii for more than one year?’ That would show that 7% homeless are from the US mainland. If they were asked, ‘have you been living in Hawaii for more than four years?’ That would show that 30% are from the US mainland. If other states that are fiscally stingy in helping their poor pulled their weight, that might fix up to 30% of the homeless issues in Hawaii, California, Oregon Washington, Illinois…

Aloha Nephew, Please do the research. The fastest growing population of homeless people is single women who are heads of families with children and the victim of domestic violence. I rush to add that there are a wide variety of histories that led to homelessness. You were perhaps not yet born when former President Regan closed all of the mental institutions and threw the patients out on the street without any support. This was called "integration into the community". I could go on, but it would seem like ranting and raving. Let me summarize this by telling you that homelessness is a symptom of a disease and not the disease itself. If you would like to see a country that has solved homelessness then I direct you to educate yourself about Finland's solution. Mahalo for your discussion of this topic.

I think homelessness is getting worse. But unfortunately, I don't know the solution. But I still feel relatively safe here. I have reason to be in various cities on the mainland once each year. I've been approached by homeless people wanting money. Since I don't know the places or the people there, I felt very vulnerable/insecure. I've noticed that the homeless don't want food, etc. They seem to only want MONEY. Possibly to buy drugs? I'm guessing, YES!

There is always so much emphasis on someone’s drug and housing issues is someone else’s problems. I understand everyone needs help and support and we should as a community do that. I also think there has been a loss self efficacy. People needing to take responsibilities for their choices and the consequences of those choices. If people are not willing to put an effort into making better personal choices and effort into fixing their own problems then the expectation will continue to be that someone else is supposed fix problems for them.

The issue is that most of these homeless individuals don't want help. I have friends that refuse to go to some playgrounds because of all the tents and drug addicts around. Waikiki has improved, but the areas around Kapahulu, Diamond Head, Kaimuki, and Kahala have all gotten worse. Look at the underpass near Kapahulu and H1. Look near Kaimuki High School. They are both filled with tents and homeless everywhere.

Homelessness is an inevitable product of capitalism.

In a book I read, written by the daughter of homeless parents living on the street in NYC......she tried to get them off the street, but they said it was so easy to be homeless with all the free handouts and empty buildings to sleep in etc., so that they did not want to give up their easy life.

Also Chris: People are not homeless always due to substance abuse. Many lose their jobs and cannot pay their rents. So, they get evicted and bam, they are out on the streets. It is not always fair to assume that homeless people are abusing substances, such as drugs and alcohol. Many are not. Many are not mentally ill, either. At least not here in Seattle. Many are scraping by on the streets which harden anyone.

I dont know about there but I used to live in the bay area and used to love to go to San Francisco. But now its so bad I dont realky go there due to all the drug issues. I mean there are needles and poop on sidewalks. Cops dont arrest anyone it feels like anymore. I have seen a drug deal right infront of a cop and the cop just kept going. The city gives out free needles to all who ask. Its crazy how bad its gotten. So many busineses have left. Some huge conventions no longer take place due to all the crime and drugs. Its crazy over there and I am so glad I moved away up north to get away from that whole area. I hope it does not get as bad here as it is there. Becuase I dont know if SF can be saved at this point. The local goverment seems to keep it as it is sadly.

Seattle did address the drug problem but not in the way you would think. There are proponents to legalize drugs including Fentanyl etc to make it more accessible. Not surprisingly, homelessness is Seattle has worsened despite spending 1 billion dollars. Hawaii should not follow the footsteps of a city that's slowly dying.

In Finland, the government actually solved their homeless issue by giving *all* homeless people apartments/roofs over their heads, no matter what. They gave people full healthcare including drug treatment, dentist, general health, etc. They gave people education & help finding jobs, and lifetime help if necessary. Homes, health care, nutrition, education.. These are the things which support successful life. We cannot be shortsighted or narrow on this issue. Different states have different needs & reasons. We must be prepared to help them all.

Same thing happening in California. The majority of people mainly left leaning/ liberals always say "is housing, or discrimination" but dont never say that 80% of homeless have a serious drug addiction and refused help, or shelter and would rather stay in their tents smoking meth all day. We can't let our communities, kids, families be exposed to open drug scenes, needles, trash, and crime because of someone who has no control over their life. These people need major intervention in their life and I agree forced and law needs to be used to put in order to put them in a place where they will get help

Think only Native Hawaiians should get affordable housing. Everyone else needs to move somewhere they can afford to live.

EVEN REASON HAS ITS DEMONS‼️💔💢 Young and Old men PLEASE READ and study Robert Bly and Michael Meade and watch Invisible People for a compassionate human homes-first! take.❣️⚡🙏

The problem is meth and now fentanyl, also heroin. The hawaii government fights hatd to make sure invasive species dont get on the islands, but somehow these chemicals to make meth are easily distributed across all islands. The fact these junkies can get twacked out and paid for being insane is the problem, i am housless in hawaii, im also not a part of these camps , if these people were not drug addicts and alcoholics there would not be a mess. There needs to be a separation between Houseless and drug addicts. Bathrooms shiuld be open and people should be aloud to sleep. This is all drug induced psychosis, these people make a choice to be drug addicts and accept crazy money from the state. No civil rights for those who cannot be civil. I deal with these people everyday being houseless, and they dont deserve the rights actual houseless people who are not addicts deserve. Ive delt with addicts on the streets in hawaii for over 8 years, they know what they are doing, they don't care, here you go, you're not an addict, you do something, make street art, work, physically do something you get affordable Housing. You're a drug addict with drug induced psychosis who cant be civil, so i say no civil rights. They can only help themselves, lock em up no shrinks, orderlies to feed them there meds, keep the drug addicts off the streets and in one confined area, they screem and yell cause they think its funny or they just hate everyone because of the drugs and police verbal and physical abouse... Your wording is stupid. Its HOUSE LESS HAWAII IS MY HOME I MAKE ART I MAKE GOOD MONEY BUT CANNOT AFFORD A HOME, FUCK YOU SAYING PEOPLE SHOULD WORK 3 JOBS TO HAVE A HOME, LOCK UP THE JUNKIES, ENOUGH, STOP BABYING THEM WITH CIVIL RIGHTS, YOU'RE ALL BEING PLAYED BY GROWN CHILDREN, SERIOUSLY ,YOU BABY THEM THEY KEEP DOING DRUGS AND BEING CRAZY , LOCK UP ALL REPEAT METH AND DRUG OFFENDERS, IF THE DRUG MAKES THEM CRAZY AND THEY KEEP DOING IT 3 STRIKES, LOCKED UP. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

World wide conspiracy gooz juz practice pomzy scams and money laundry, etc in Waikiki and Ala Moana shopping mall, etc, globally.

I’m here now on vacation, in Honolulu and the homeless situation is bad. Thought I was escaping sf but the smells and visuals are as bad, not the paradise I recall 5-6 yrs ago.

Hi Chris, you really nailed it on what the underlying problem is with homelessness. The realty is drug addiction, and largely crystal meth. I work for the Addiction Foundation of Manitoba, CANADA. I know 100% that the majority of people living in the streets need a rehab facility to stay at and detox and get councelling. Unfortunately, it’s usually only a 3 week program, and then what. This drug is unlike any other, and there needs to be a much bigger plan to get people off meth and to give hope for what seems a very bleak future. I met a homeless girl in Oahu in May while I was there on holidays for 17 days. I was providing food for her and her dog, Roxy. It’s heartbreaking, she told me her story but I already knew it. I’ve seen it many times, she wanted to get off the streets, it’s so dangerous at night. It’s hard, I still think about her and her little dog.

High taxes, costs of living, affordable housing for the rich and not the poor, no politicans no governor, no mayor, no council members bring down taxes in Hawaii

Another thing to note is that the US tends to have far higher rates of substance abuse per capita than most western countries. We should also be asking ourselves why substance abuse levels are so high in the US compared to other locations.

I believe some people want to remain homeless because they feel it's a "lifestyle." I have spoken to a few homeless people in Oahu and they all said it's a "lifestyle." They enjoy being in the outdoors, living in the jungle, living in this communal outdoor setting. Here in Los Angeles what I have been seeing and noticing are young people purposely choosing to be homeless instead of either finding job or permanent housing. Yes, homelessness is a multifaceted issue. It's a very difficult problem to deal with.

Why is aloha upside-down on your hat what a disgrace to our culture!

Affordable housing is an issue, but it's different then homelessness.

Me and my family have a ministry that we do on the island of Kauai. Two times a month we go and set up 3 tents to give away free clothing, toiletries, bedding, prayer, and a hot meal. For me it hurts to hear the label of "These people" many of our brothers and sisters have their stories of how they ended up on the street and or started using alcohol or substances. There is a big community that we have that are in their 60's, 70's, even 80's and the only reason they got into alcohol or substances was because they had a server situation they went through and are just wanting to not wake up the next day. When we were able to get some of our brothers and sisters to open up and share their story it was heartbreaking to hear they were never alcoholics or substance users. But after being heard and re-directed helping them feel that they are not doing this journey alone we have seen many come off the street and get the help they truly need. So my say is stop labeling as "THESE PEOPLE" and take the time to "HEAR THEM OUT"

Aloha Chris, thank you for an amazing channel. As a local born and raised in Mo'ili'ili, who moved away but witnessed homelessness and rising cost-of-living, which is not unique to Hawaii and exists in other states, other countries, I applaud you for the thoughtful discussion. Examining and analyzing the statistics, whether economic, social or civil will not provide the magic algorithm to fix homelessness, substance abuse or cost-of-living, that has been overdone, with the same to similar outcomes; miniscule temporary changes. It is not easy to write this because I no longer live there, but seeing and reading the comments here, shows the support of most of these individuals towards these problems. This is a start for change. Please continue with the mindful content Chris. Mahalo

My guess is that there are many here that are not aware of Pu'uhonoa O Wai'anaie. It is a group of about 250 homeless. They have strict village rules. No drugs, camp clean up, community service, quiet time from 8 pm so kids can sleep. As they have a deaf child in the village, they teach sign language. Don't obey the rules, then they are out. Most of the adults work, but they are priced out of paradise. They may be houseless but not homeless. Twinks Borge is their leader. They have raised money and bought land to build homes and farm to be more self sustainable. Prior to this their encampment looked similar to most homeless areas. Tarps, tents, make shift shelter. The difference is that they kept it clean. They used restroom facilities at the harbor and they would have tasks to clean up the facilities. Would this model, shelters or low cost housing work for all homeless? Sadly, I believe the answer is no, due to the mental health issues. I've volunteered and walked down Skid Row by myself. Yes, you smell pot here and there. The stench from the urine in the streets will make ypu gag. There is a lot of trash littering the streets.. I know a man who builds tiny homes for homeless in the LA area to give shelter from the elements. The tiny homes have wheels as well as alarm, locking door, small solar panel to charge items such cellphones and an American People have reported some sweet homeless veterans of using their tiny homes for drug dealing and prostitution. Nothing can be further from the truth, but often houseless are stereotyped. So sad to hear about Stadium Park. I have memories of walking to the Stadium from my grandpa's house as a keiki.

Substance abuse has been a problem in the United States for decades but the U.S. has always viewed substance addiction as a crime instead of a health issue. Do we really want to solve these problems.

Houselesness is something that we all need to tackle. We see it here in on the mainland, all due to similar issues(affordable housing, lack of mental healthcare, ect..) These are the points where we as a nation need to work together and get the folks who want the housing into much safer situations.

As someone who lives here but was homeless for 6 months in California because I was robbed at a hospital, a few things I'd emphasize is 1-No body chooses to be homeless initially, all humans are raised to fear it. 2-Its extremely traumatic to cope with daily having to remember a time when we weren't at the bottom of society. 3-drugs and alcohol numb out things that you can't escape. It's a poor form of coping with the problem, not the actual problem. Do all people who do drugs become homeless or do all people who are homeless do drugs and alcohol? How long can you handle living on the street without a kitchen, bathroom, cellphone, or electricity? How would you cope?

40 year ER RN-your video highlights the truth-most homelessness is due to substance abuse snd we don’t have the treatment available. -I do think Waikiki is cleaner ,the pavilions with concessions have made a difference. And yes you should for City Council;you are so aware of the issues in Hawaii and so well spoken. Thank you.

I think the homeless should not be allowed to camp right in the middle of downtown prime real estate where briskness and people pay millions of dollars to buy or rent. I mean I'd like to wake up to and ocean view but does that mean I can put up a tent in the back yard of a beach front house? Some areas should just be off limits. Plus if they were pushed further from the city it might hinder easy access to substances.

JUST TALK SHOW THE HOMELESS

Aloha brah, howzit? Good to see input. I was homeless 20+ years on Maui, mostly Kihei. So many diverse reasons contribute. My case was mostly housing costs. I did not drink or do meth. I worked full time, Eskimo Candy. Had a bank account. I lived several years in the concrete cane fields drainage tunnels under Pialani hiway. Lots centipedes and cane spiders. I never allowed my homelessness to impact anyone else. I spent most time not working building bikes to help the less fortunate homeless. I started DA KIHEI BIKE CHURCH, a non profit co-op. My sister is 63 and Kihei homeless. I got off the rock. Retired comfortable mainland now. So much cheaper. Hawaii is a brutal climate to be homeless....

I am homeless ,and going to Hawaii to get free stuff!!

In Florida there is a Community-based Housing village that has had great success in housing the houseless. Community First Village in Austin, TX haas housed the chronically homeless with great success as well. In Utah & Colorado, The Other Side Academy & their sister-program The Other Side Village has had great success in a self-sustaining approach to ending their homelessness problem. Hoping to see it happen in all states in America, including Alaska, Puerto Rico & Hawai'i! Thank-You for this perspective. Let's end the Illegal-Occupation, then we can end the high-cost of living for all in Hawai'i.

You can vote for increased minimum wage and percentage caps in retail markup... It's a longshot, but why not?

Hey Chris, I work in homeless services in Northern California. Homelessness is a worldwide issue and there are so many reasons why people are homeless Vets having a difficult transition to Civi life, mental health, and yes - sometimes substance abuse. Trust/believe, this is not an easy issue to fix. Our shelters are at capacity, we're lucky to have what homeless services, we do have. Some places don't have basic homeless services....when I was home (Hawaii) there were none, has that changed? Hoping things change for the better for all of us

The investigative reporters in California have exhausted themselves on this issue. Follow the money. Literally, no one wants to listen or look. The investigators shook their heads and washed their hands of the issue. Yet here we are, gosh, how do we fix this problem. FOLLOW THE MONEY!

The problem is most Hawaiians dont participate in ekections. Self interested people count on them not voting, and get easy wins. The people are miserable and not represented because they refuse to participate. So they blame Haoles and tourists. If they want real change, they have to change. The damage is so bad that it wont change in a week, but its a start. Not voting has consequences. No matter how bad they dont want to be a part of the system, they are. They might as well participate. In 2016, the people spoke, and it shocked the establishment with a Trump win. Id love to see Hawaiians win and get real representation. The people that vote, and win, care more about the turtles and environment more than the plight of the people. Vote for true representation or quit complaining.

I am very picky about which parks I take my kids to, especially as a woman and especially when it's just me. Even then, i'm always a bit on edge. I have found a lot of peace in investing in some memberships where you need to pay to enter and my kids can have fun, that has made me feel much safer. And yeah, I'm probably never taking them to stadium park even though I grew up playing there too!

Final comment, The issue is not big enough yet. It is not in my backyard. When it starts affecting me, then I'll do something. That is the attitude of the 1% . The group behind them are very wealthy to. .

What percentage of Homeless individuals...has come from the Mainland....Cheaper for States to Send the individual to Hawaii, with a one-way plane ticket...It cost is tremendous...

Chris: Thank you for bringing the substance abuse issue to the forefront regarding the continuing situation of homelessness. I agree it is a strong element of the triangle of cost of living, affordable housing & the subject you cover in this video edition. I myself have family living under bridges & what makes the situation worse for my family is that it is soooooo hard identifying their addictions; in our case, it is substance abuse AND gambling.

Recent visitors to Waikiki. Took a Sunday drive on 6.25.23 to the leeward side of the island, our first stop Barber's Point Lighthouse and last stop Kaena Point State Park. Left Waikiki early, Siri had us driving surface roads to Barber's Point. Just before the point we found ourselves driving amongst hopped up trucks with Hawaiian flags and passengers in chairs in the flat beds, some with "defend Hawaii" bumper stickers. It seemed like a very important part of Hawaiian culture. Do you know anything about this event, does it happen every Sunday? After hiking to the lighthouse we drove to Ko Olina and enjoyed swimming at lagoon #4. From Ko Olina to Kaena it was a mass of homeless settlements. It has such a different vibe than the windward side.

I just came back from 10 days in Vancouver, BC; a beautiful city with friendly, polite, and engaging people, great restaurants, fabulous food markets, and lots of beautiful parks. East Hastings St. near Chinatown and Granville St. south of Nelson are where the "homeless" live. Cannabis is legal and is sold in shops that dot the city, some of which are very posh. Cannabis is produced according to strict guidelines; people smoke openly in public but it's not widespread. You'll smell it once in a while walking downtown. There's a lesson there about legalization. That said, I concluded that the homeless are just as happy as the Asians standing in line to buy designer items here in Ginza, Tokyo. The pakalolo is just a part of the daily hygiene routine. Homelessness has always existed, think Victorian London, and is a phenomenon in large cities. Honolulu has joined the ranks. Outreach and support is a better strategy than trying to put the homeless in "shelters" so "we can feel comfortable and forget about them again". The root problems--jobs, COL, socialization, inequality--remain unsolved and unsolvable. Can't go to the park because of the "homeless"? Go find another park... PS-Whenever and wherever I travel, I always buy food for the homeless, often dividing my meal in half into a takeout box, or getting a sandwich from a convenience store. That's my solution to the crisis.

1. No land to build on or very limited. 2. COL very difficult to lower due to cost of shipping and continuing inflation. 3. Substance Abuse can be controlled with laws. Where are the laws? 4. Mental Health requires massive resources and how do force homeless to treatment? Gov has little control over one and two, they (HA gov.) has no will to do anything serious about 3&4. I know taxes in general are super high especially proper tax. I grew up in Hawaii and remember a two-lane road from Pearl City and Wahiawa. No Mililani Town, all pineapples and sugar cane. Very different times and HA had almost no crime.

We need to first focus on how these homeless people are getting their one way ticket to Hawaii. It should be a crime for organizations to send their problems to us, a tiny already over populated island. It’s cheaper for States to send their homeless away especially areas that experience extreme winters and summers. Once that’s locked down should we then spend our tax dollars on helping our own. Put money towards drug facilities and affordable housing. We are being overloaded with mainlanders needing medical attention or overcrowding our prisons. Even our local homeless people are respectful and the others coming here are giving them a bad name. I’ve met houseless local uncles and aunties and they are very respectful and take care of the land. I’m not only talking about mainlanders. Look who is causing problems then focus on how they got here, what other problems have they caused. Where’s the 3 strikes and your out rule. And yes, rise in crime and disappearance of the middle class is a sign of government corruption.

With A.i on the rise we have to shift the way we live. People living in the jungle is fine but we have the materials to build beautiful stadium sized greenhouses that have housing. It would help with interconnecting the community and controlling substance abuse simultaneously. We keep building massive stadiums for play but not for living. Large corporate buildings that are truly unnecessary can be green towers. We're in the age where we need to shed the corporate monopoly brain and reconnect with eachother.

The people with the money and control, don't know how to handle the issue. The case managers, counselors and former homeless know how to handle the issue effectively, but don't have the funds. The people with the money need to be humble enough to communicate with and listen to the people with the experience.

Seems like it goes back to the family level. Strong connected families help (but do not guarantee) responsible adult behavior. There's accountability and support. The breakdown of the family unit is destroying many children. And those make hurting adults who find relief in drugs.

How about not allowing thousands of illegals to land here. I’m all for people coming who come LEGALLY and contribute to the aina and community though.. I do agree about substance abuse here!

Interesting topic, it's 8/14/23 today and you can connect it to the new homelessness in Lahina on Maui. Apparemtly the county did a dismal job warning residents and now you have a good part of a small city that needs to be totally rebuilt literally from the ground up. Even if folks were adequately insured you are talking about years to rebuild. That old saying, given lemons you make lemonade and not making light of this terrible tragedy it means this is a time when the bureaucracy of Hawaii can show it's true Aloha and brainpower and put all hands on deck to fix affordable housing and infrastructure. A good chunk of the problem now areb the folks who were either renters or barely making it on their mortgages. All those addresses are gone. Not everyone living on Maui is an Oprah Winfrey or a Jeff Bezos living on an estate. Added to that, you've just shut down a big chunk of the island's tourist economy for at least the next several years too. Will Maui accommodate all of these newly unemployed local people? Can they? With a long track record of government incompetence in Hawaii this is definitely a time to show people they can walk the walk as well as talk the talk. Or talk the story if you prefer. No more tabletop exercises they are in the big leagues now.

It's not the fn drugs! It's the cost of housing! Working class has never been pretty. It's always had drug alcohol and emotional issues. They use to build your TV and refrigerator 8 hours a day, go home drink and do drugs, repete.. without those jobs you create the homelessness and aggravat the moral and drug problems.

Also, there is NO incentive for politicians to ACTUALLY fix the homelessness problem. Where there is rampant homelessness, there are corrupt politicians.

My daughter lives in Oahu and during my recent visit, it's gotten worse. Much worse. Every hiking parking place is littered with glass. They will smash your windshield/windows. She has had her catalytic converter stolen. Her car burglarized while at a local beach. We took the popular waterfall hike and had a negative encounter with a homeless person in the woods. It was very scary. She was involved in an active shooter event in downtown Waikiki. It was a homeless mentally ill person who had a illegally obtained gun. She literally had to run and hide for over an hour.

I’ve visited Hawaii twice and the homeless people there are super aggressive and actually pretty hateful. Homeless in other cities will beg for money or just act weird, but in Hawaii I had a few just jump in my face out of nowhere. Pure insane angry unprovoked mofos. I was like wtf?

Maybe it is time we should. Shift gears from a. Affordable housing to wages that you can actually live on. I've noticed that affordable housing hasn't worked for 40 something years because it never turns out to be affordable but the contractors and the construction workers and all get to make plenty of money.We need wages to go up to live in the areas that you live in period. Hawaii should be $30 an hour and since there are plenty of rich people running the resorts. I'm sure they could put some of that profit. There's sticking in the private bank account. It's end of the people that actually make them the money. Capitalism is satan's playground

We were at baby beach in Waikiki and a homeless man was chasing another man with a knife, yelling, then he pulled out his man parts and started flinging it around. We had a 4 year little one with us. Two police women got him and cuffed him within 10 mins. very sad for everyone involved. The man is probably mentally ill, so we pray he gets the help he needs. Some homeless were pooping/peeing in the public showers at that beach as well. It's near the Duke Statue happened in June 2022.

It's not just drugs that cause homelessness and poverty. I grew up poor in an abusive home. I went to live with relatives when I was 15 because my mom couldn't afford to take care of all us so I made the sacrifice to move away to ease the burden on my mom. Ever since then, I've worked minimum wage jobs and lived out of people's homes, renting their rooms. The only place I had to call my own was an apartment and that lasted 4 years until I was evicted because the landlord wanted the unit back. I have NEVER been addicted, never had a drug problem or even indulged in drugs. I don't have a mental health problem. I will be 51 soon and my health has now deteriorated some. I have two cars - one is a daily driver and the other is the backup in case the first car breaks down. The second car is a SUV and I also keep it as insurance in case I get evicted again and I can use the SUV to live in.

the affordable housing issue is and has been out of control since late 70s early 80s from then on people have been buying second or houses in general for investment purposes people from off island also started to invest that and inflation drove the market extremely high these condos going up all around kakaako sold at outrageous prices nearly sellout before it's finished very very small percentage bought by people who live on the island simply because they can't afford it .what is the price of an affordable home? 12:40

There is not a shortage of housing anywhere in N. America. There is a shortage of multigenerational families, period. Jess.🌹

As someone who lived next door to someone with affordable housing AND had substance abuse, simply giving out housing is not the answer. This man absolutely destroyed his living unit, costing thousands of dollars in repair, and left. He didn't get clean, he just destroyed his house and moved on.

What is “affordable housing”? If you could cut the price of a million dollar home by half, you still can’t afford it on $100,000 salary.

Personally im thinking about coming to hawaii just so i can deliberately be homeless so i can escape the west and move down to australia. I don't have a drug problem, Im actually just a young white christain man with barely any money. Cost of living is just so oppressive that i just want out. Living on the beach to save 3-4 months rent just to leave sounds like a pretty good deal Why would i stay? No wives, no Land = no opportunity. it's time to leave

well honolulu is an open air mental asylum. and if you’re aware of your surroundings you should have no problem. travel edicts should tighten up on one way tickets to Honolulu without proper proof of residency. Our homeless problem is split because they relocated %40 to the burbs and Waianae

Yes, this is one of the toughest problems confronting Hawaii and there is no easy solution. I had a childhood friend, since 9 years old, who lived on the streets of Honolulu for about 15 years until he died in 2015, at 60 years old. He lost his job, family and friends due to his meth addiction. I tried many times to get to get him off meth, into housing and a job but he always adamantly refused the help. Sadly, living on the streets for many years eventually dulled the essential skills needed for daily survival; hygiene, responsibility, self respect, nutritional foods, etc. In short, he was a broken man. In the last 6 months of his life, he finally got housing but died from a meth overdose alone at home. Can Hawaii fix broken people?

I knew a visiting nurse from Philadelphia who was amazed at the drug abuse here. She said back home, meth users tend to die fairly young. They’ll get caught outside during a winter storm and freeze. Or the cold takes such a toll on them physically that they deteriorate and can’t fight off pneumonia or other illnesses. So actually the climate here, as great as it is, actually helps people survive and function even if they are incapacitated in some way. our drug abuse prevention programs have to be a lot more robust and all encompassing than in other places to account for this. They have to look at the long term, which is not easy.

What about having the goverment monitor benefits to the low income people. Back then I remember my neighbor wearing gold chains, driving nice expensive cars, and coming home with full bags of groceries and the weird part is that we live in housing and pay 46$ in rent. I even remember when I collected unemployment the proof I gave was filling out a questionaire asking if I look for job or not with a box to answer yes or no. Many people took advantage of it and that is probably why lots are not working, have no exp etc.

I know of a few bums dealing drugs n bringing it in. For some reason, they keep getting let off?! Not to mention the other homeless that end up getting plane tickets back to the mainland n they come back with more homeless ppl! These politicians won’t do anything just ask the residents of San Francisco!

The driving factor is cost of living and not enough good paying steady jobs. I was living down the beach with my wife and kids for years. Now we live mainland good job low cost of living. Only one in my family who own a house on 10 acres

When will the Hawaiian govt send those homeless or squatters back to the mainland? Those homeless came to HI were given a one way ticket only, a courtesy of their mainland States who just wanted to get rid of their own slum problems..

Homeless people choose to be homeless because they do not like to follow the rules of "affordable housing" (ie. shelters) due to their addiction or whatever other their reasoning is. The effects is that they cannot function or work in society. Thus the affordable housing will not solve the homeless issue because the very problem is their addiction. Shelters will not allow drugs inside and do have other restrictions in which people do not like to adhere to. Furthermore, if people do not want to be helped (ie. rehab, shelter, etc), the only solution is the force them to get help (ie. charge them for city ordinance violations, possession of narcotics, and/or criminal statutes), thus incarceration is the only realistic solution. But society has become too lenient and allows the homelessness, open market drug addiction, and lawlessness to continue. There is no accountability, nor repercussions for committing crime or violating city ordinances in public, therefore you have these quality of life issues in society. Even if people are incarcerated, they're released due to the leniency in the criminal justice system. Essentially, the system tells these individuals that it is okay to continue with their addictions and low level offenses thus you have the perpetual revolving door in society resulting in homelessness, fecal matter on sidewalks, dirty syringes in parks, theft, etc. It is unfortunate that this is occurring in paradise because it that bleeds into the tourist areas, and tourism is the island's heartbeat, you can say goodbye to the tourism industry.

I think it's building codes for residential property. They need to do away with it. I'm buying land in Oregon but live in an RV in Washington state. I want to live on my own land but the county says I need a full septic before I could move on the land to even start building a house. A full septic cost around $8,000. I could go cheaper with a holding tank that gets pumped out ever 6 months or so for about $1,000. But the county says no. Even though I am buying and will own property there are so many rules to make it useless until I jump threw hoops. That is why people are homeless. I should know. I live out of a fricken vehicle 🤪😂👍 my guess Hawaii is no different on the rules. Why can't people do what they want with land if they own it?

Lowering the cost of living won't necessarily help or eliminate the homeless problem. It's a societal problem that is multi-layered and complex. Society needs to decide if it has the intestinal fortitude and the will, the vision, along with the billions or trillions of dollars needed to address this problem. I fear that we don't, and homelessness as we see it now will simply continue and get progressively worse. As fractured as society is now, there is little hope that we can all view this problem under one giant lens and agree how to address it. Sad...

Does the Honolulu Airport have strict enforcement on people who bring in illegal drugs?