just got back from Maui and I'm shocked. (Kihei, Lahaina: rentals, transfer)

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

Opening mental institutions again isn't the answer because mental institutions were merely prisons. These people need mental health help and supposedly there's no money for that. They need some place to live that has the very basics, like one room with a bed in a situation where they are monitored and where help is available.

Whether one characterizes a mental health institution as a prison or not, they had a place to live - they had a bed, they got fed, and presumably - there was at least some mental health help.

There are clearly homeless on the streets who should not be on the streets (a danger to themselves and others) but getting them off the streets isn't an option as a side affect of the 1960's civil rights laws.

The problem has gotten worse in Hawaii because of 1) a growing population and 2) adjusted for inflation, it has never been cheaper to get to Hawaii.

[WaikikiBoy]

Local, state and federal governments spend billions and billions to “solve” the homeless issue to no improvement. If someone wants help, there are many places available to get help. Most of those out there don’t want the help.

If the governments spent the money on the huge drug problem (meth, heroin, prescription opioids) and got serious about addressing and fight that, while being less compassionate to the street camping, you’d start to see improvement I believe.

I still see too many homeless in Honolulu and on Oahu in general.

[norman_w]

I worked in waikiki for a cheap hotel and it was californians who came over to hawaii and didnt want to pay rent and live on the beach 'the dream'. Thats why they wouldn't go out of waikiki. Mostly middle aged men and some younger.

[Highdesert03]

Homelessness and mental health issues are prevalent in Hawaii... We lived in Kahana from 6/18 to 5/19 and eventhough Kahana /Napili is nice, go to Lahaina and it's very obvious. Especially around the Foodland center by Starbucks....its sad... We took a couple days to go to Oahu and on Waikiki it was ridiculous....

[happygrrrl]

Originally Posted by Futuremauian

I don't see homeless in tents here in West Maui. Doubt if there are any in Wailea either. Where you DO see them is all around Walmart in Kahului, and up and down Alamaha Street especially near the Ross Store. Some beach parks near the airport have encampments as well.

In Lahaina, every morning there are homeless at the McDonalds, especially after an overnight rain. They are busy stealing sodas, panhandling, sleeping at the tables, and demanding the restroom door codae. I now only use the drive-thru there.

You wonder where they've all come from and California looks even worse! With the smallest jobless numbers in decades, why are the Social Services overwhelmed nationwide? Drugs, alcohol abuse, and mental illness is/are usually cited, but the numbers have really exploded! This must not be as common in the cooler parts of the U.S. People from there are generally the ones who are shocked.

Is this the new norm?

You should see Portland, OR & Seattle, WA. The winters are wet, but there are tents everywhere, under freeways, on sidewalks, on street medians, people screaming & acting all other kinds of crazy. It’s not as bad as San Francisco, but it’s approaching it.

Sad to hear about Maui. I haven’t been to Hawaii in years, such a beautiful place.

[jm31828]

Originally Posted by happygrrrl

You should see Portland, OR & Seattle, WA. The winters are wet, but there are tents everywhere, under freeways, on sidewalks, on street medians, people screaming & acting all other kinds of crazy. It’s not as bad as San Francisco, but it’s approaching it.

Sad to hear about Maui. I haven’t been to Hawaii in years, such a beautiful place.

Yes I live in the Seattle area and work in downtown Seattle. There are areas where trash is EVERYWHERE, these people will have tents right on the sidewalks, they defecate on the sidewalks, occasionally people get assaulted by them. Many in the city including the city council feel they have a right to stay where they are because they are "down and out", trying to blame the high cost of living and Amazon- for bringing such high paying jobs and forcing up that cost of living- for the situation. The reality is that these people on the streets were not priced out of homes or apartments because of high cost of living- these people (all of them that I have seen or encountered) have mental and/or drug issues.

When the city does occasionally go to clear an encampment they bring social services people with them to help each individual get into shelter- and guess what- none of the homeless remain to actually talk to them about shelter, they take off to go live in a tent in a different area.

[Open-D]

I suspect that much to very much of the root cause of this situation stems from the rulings of elitist, left-wing judges who, by judicial fiat, have given this sector of society a better set of "rights" than those who actually reside and contribute to the community by working, running businesses, paying taxes etc.

Here is an example.

[Jungjohann]

Originally Posted by Open-D

I suspect that much to very much of the root cause of this situation stems from the rulings of elitist, left-wing judges who, by judicial fiat, have given this sector of society a better set of "rights" than those who actually reside and contribute to the community by working, running businesses, paying taxes etc.

Here is an example.

So, left wing elitist judges are the cause of homelessness?


Learn something new every day.

[Open-D]

Originally Posted by Jungjohann

So, left wing elitist judges are the cause of homelessness?


Learn something new every day.

Another example. A judge ordered Governor R. Reagan to release patients with mental illnesses from institutions, putting them hopelessly on the streets.

Used to be that vagrancy was an offense. Well, some judge(s) struck down those laws as well.

These, and many more "rulings" have handicapped communities and states in their efforts to maintain a decent community.

[Jungjohann]

Originally Posted by Open-D

Another example. A judge ordered Governor R. Reagan to release patients with mental illnesses from institutions, putting them hopelessly on the streets.

Used to be that vagrancy was an offense. Well, some judge(s) struck down those laws as well.

These, and many more "rulings" have handicapped communities and states in their efforts to maintain a decent community.

And I was always under the impression that it was Reagan, who, while governor of California, had shuttered state mental health facilities while transferring patients to privately owned facilities. Many of the owners of the 'facilities' not only got paid by the 'head', but were also involved with Reagan politically. And then, shortly after being elected president, Reagan cancelled the federal CMHC program that had been initiated by the Carter administration, further curtailing funding that was meant to assist states with mental health care. And, believe it or not, he had first cut state aid, while Governor, saying that the feds could handle it, then he cut the federal funding to the states as President......

Must be more fake news, from waaaaay back when, all started by those elitist judges, and west coast liberals, with their fancy college degrees and all that nonsense.