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| No walk in the park: less than a mile from Honolulu's center |
Being homeless anywhere makes for a future that's nasty, brutish, and perhaps short, but in Hawaii it has been more comfortable than most places to exist without a roof over one's head. The year-round warmth precludes the possibility of freezing to death, and
welfare benefits are the most generous in the nation.
Per the
Economist:
Hawaii has one of the worst rates of homelessness in the country. Though its jobless rate is below 5%, pricey housing keeps even many workers on the streets.
The seemingly inexorable rise in the homeless population has triggered a government response:
On December 2nd Honolulu’s mayor, Kirk Caldwell, signed a bill that bans people from sitting or lying on the busiest public pavements between 5am and 11pm. Those who do so can be fined up to $1,000 and jailed for up to 30 days.
Long-term solutions, such as building inexpensive housing and effecting behavioral change, will take years, so
In the meantime, there is talk of sending the homeless to an encampment on nearby Sand Island—far from the tourists of Waikiki.
Sand Island, which contains a mix of heavy industry and recreational space, isn't Waikiki, but there are worse places to live.
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