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I would think Kauai would be a better place to be homeless than DC. Although not devoid of crime, Kauai is certainly not equal to the DC area. The weather is a lot nicer and you can always clean yourself up in the ocean. A sleeping bag would be sufficient for bedding down somewhere. Local food stands would provide you with fresh produce, whereas DC you would be eating at soup kitchens or from restaurant garbage. With the great climate, you wouldn't have to seek shelter too often, other than when it rains.
Panhandling is not common on Kauai or Maui, but you can get a day job or pick up cans & bottles for the redemption money. I think they started issuing checks for that now, which might be a problem if you don't have a bank account to cash it.
Gosh, this is tough, because I personally don't want to encourage someone who is homeless, and intends to stay that way, to move to the islands. What would you be contributing to a community that is struggling already?
I have some homeless friends here on Kauai. My one friend has a pretty decent life. He lives on the beach with many other homeless people and has a tent and a car out there. He fishes a lot for food and just spends all his time there at the beach. He has lots of family (although some of his family members kicked him out, which is why he decided to just live on the beach) and his family members always bring him plates of food to eat or bring him items for his "home." It's a pretty easy life.
My other friend is homeless and has a really hard time. She's pretty much a hippie and lives on the beach with her boyfriend. It is a lot harder for her b/c there is no family here to help them and they don't really fish or can hunt for food. Kauai has some support for homeless or low income families, but not nearly to the same capacity as a big city, such as DC would have. So basically this girl is trapped here on the island, doesn't have enough money to get out and with all of the economic problems, she lost her job and does not have a new one. So, in that case, I would much rather be in DC- even with the cold weather!
Well yeah there's more economic opportunity in DC. But yeah the weather would make kauai more attractive. Not to be ugly but one thing I've noticed is that DC has a lot of overweight homeless people so they're at least well fed. I'd pick Kauai though.
Is it me? Or are the words 'homelessness' and 'Hawaii' appearing together in the same sentence a lot? Nah! Probably just a co-inky-dink! Yeah, right!
Believe me, there's a lesson here, folks! Pay attention, newbies! Pay attention all you polyanna paradise-seekers! Hawaii and its unemployment (or under-employment), and its exorbitant cost of living, and the sheer cost to get out here and back, are ALL contributing factors. Plan well or pay dearly, its that simple, and if that's fear-mongering to some, so be it!
If Hawaii could talk, she'd be saying the same thing that the character 'Sergeant Barnes' said in the Vietnam war film entitled Platoon . . . "I 'am' reality".
There is a lot of territory between the two choices. I would think a warm place on the mainland would be preferable because of the ability to move if necessary. Kauai has lovely, although damp, weather but it is very limited in things available so moving somewhere with nice weather AND access to the mainland might be a wiser choice.
I have some homeless friends here on Kauai. My one friend has a pretty decent life. He lives on the beach with many other homeless people and has a tent and a car out there. He fishes a lot for food and just spends all his time there at the beach. He has lots of family (although some of his family members kicked him out, which is why he decided to just live on the beach) and his family members always bring him plates of food to eat or bring him items for his "home." It's a pretty easy life.
My other friend is homeless and has a really hard time. She's pretty much a hippie and lives on the beach with her boyfriend. It is a lot harder for her b/c there is no family here to help them and they don't really fish or can hunt for food. Kauai has some support for homeless or low income families, but not nearly to the same capacity as a big city, such as DC would have. So basically this girl is trapped here on the island, doesn't have enough money to get out and with all of the economic problems, she lost her job and does not have a new one. So, in that case, I would much rather be in DC- even with the cold weather!
This is a good point. So many people have posted about moving to HI, no job, limited income. They should heed your friends predicament about being trapped on the island.
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Trapped in HI
