Mayor-elect Rick Blangiardi wants to eradicate the homeless “compassionate disorder” approach

Mayor-elect Rick Blangiardi wants to eradicate the city’s current “compassionate disorder” philosophy to tackle Oahu homelessness, including frequent searches of homeless camps.

Blangiardi said in his “Roadmap to Recovery” that he “will eliminate the use of so-called compassionate disruption by the city, particularly during COVID-19. This approach only moves the homeless from park to park and street to street. “

Under Mayor Kirk Caldwell, the compassionate disruption has resulted in laws being enforced to shut down parks, including homeless people sleeping in tents and constantly sweeping areas of the island. Caldwell regularly enforced the city’s no-sit and lie-down laws in business districts and sidewalk harassment laws.

The city sends two special cleaning teams every week to remove tons of homeless people and was in the process of hiring a third crew.

The compassionate part of Caldwell’s approach meant that the homeless – especially the well-known chronically homeless – were repeatedly offered temporary shelters, along with the support of social workers and health care workers to resolve the underlying problems.

The ongoing homeless sweeps in town – Caldwell calls them “enforcement actions” – are complaint-based and the only consistent form of relief for Oahu businesses, which often open their doors to find urine, feces, needles and homeless on their own .

Blangiardi declined a request from the Honolulu Star advertiser to fill out details of his homelessness ideas included in his Timetable.

In the policy paper, Blangiardi wrote, “This is perhaps the only topic that people bring up the most with me.”

>> “Convening a meeting of city, state and nonprofit stakeholders to develop a comprehensive, data-intensive approach to coordinated outreach services, expanded medical care and additional housing / housing options for the homeless population of O’ahu.

>> “Prioritize additional housing and treatment options for the homeless, including the service-resistant street community with addiction and / or mental health problems.

>> “Support programs such as Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) and Assisted Community Treatment (ACT). …

>> “Prepare for increased homelessness after the CARES Act funding and federal programs expire December 30, 2020.”

Scott Morishige, the state homeless coordinator, described Blangiardi’s homeless plan as “things the state and our homeless workers are already working on.”

Morishige added that Blan-giardi could face a rapidly growing homeless problem when he takes office early next year.

With America’s worst economy and highest unemployment rate, homelessness is expected to rise across the islands – especially after federal COVID-19 relief funds are slated to go away at the end of the year.

“It is very likely that the hardship will increase and more people will become homeless due to COVID-19 and its economic impact,” Morishige said. “More than ever, it will be crucial that everyone come together and support one another. We look forward to working with the administration. “

Hawaii started 2020 by taking its dishonorable distinction of having America’s highest per capita homelessness rate. New York now has the worst homelessness problem in the country on a per capita basis.

In the wake of a subsequent economic and housing crisis in Hawaii, it will be vital for city and state officials to work with social services, nonprofit groups, outreach workers, and others to deal with the chronically homeless, while newly homeless families are likely to find quick relief need to regain permanent housing.

In contrast to the city, the state does not have its own cleaning team to carry out clean-up work on state land. So state officials hired a contractor to clear 190 tons of items – including bicycle parts, welders, tools, generators, and cooking utensils – over three days through Friday in response to complaints to dismantle 42 illegal campsites in the Sand Island State Recreation Area.

Former city council chairman Ikaika Anderson, who resigned in October, praised Blangiardi for writing down his thoughts on homelessness.

“It’s great that he came up with a plan,” said Anderson. “I cannot stress this enough. You can certainly argue that it’s vague, but it specifically says who it wants to deal with. I don’t know how it would be possible for Mayor-elected Blangiardi to have a more detailed plan as he has no direct experience on the subject. But now it’s on his desk – or that’s how it will be. “

Blangiardi will inherit a potentially powerful new tool to tackle homelessness in the Iwilei-Nimitz Highway area when the city’s four-story Punawai rest stop behind the state’s largest homeless shelter is expected to fully open in January on Kuwili Street.

The hygiene center on the first floor has been in operation for two years and has seen 2,500 unique homeless customers each year. They have taken over 100,000 showers and gained access to toilets, laundry, health checks for their pets, mail, and case management.

In the first few weeks of Blangiardi’s new management, the building is expected to open its upper floors to also provide a health clinic and even 21 studio apartments for permanent living, including case management.

Outgoing Alderman Joey Manahan welcomed the city’s efforts to reduce homelessness in and around his district, including the Punawai rest area; the Hale Mauliola Navigation Center on Sand Island, which became the island’s first animal shelter to accommodate pets as well as homeless single adults and couples living in converted shipping containers; and businessman Duane Kurisu’s permanent residential community of prefabricated houses for working, formerly homeless families along the H-1 freeway called Kahauiki Village. Kahauiki Village’s collaboration with state, regional and private business interests to create permanent homes for homeless families on Oahu has drawn the attention of mainland officials struggling with their own homeless problems.

“The next government must consider the next steps beyond the foundations already in place,” said Manahan. “Maybe it’s time to look at things like tiny houses, to get people off the streets, to manage these illegal camps. It depends on being able to offer more alternatives. “

When asked what it means for Blangiardi to want to give up compassionate interference, Manahan said that Blangiardi would likely “be a little more cautious about enforcing sit-lie regulations or the harassment of warehouse property or sidewalks. That’s how I interpret it. He would look for other alternatives to these types of solutions. I like that.”

Connie Mitchell, who directs the Institute for Human Services, which provides case management for several of the city’s homeless projects, wrote in an email to the star advertiser: “In our previous experience with Blangiardi, he has proven to be a great listener and great at execution of a plan. We applaud his value of mutual accountability and applying the best available knowledge to the task. I think it’s great that he wants to focus on the chronically homeless people who have little ability to help themselves. “

State Representative John Mizuno (D, Kamehameha Heights-Kalihi Valley) said Blangiardi “isn’t afraid to say, ‘Maybe I didn’t work in the homeless scene; However, I am ready to speak to the experts. ‘ … We’ve seen homelessness for decades, and the state, counties, and nonprofits talk about good work, but they just didn’t do a good job. He has the potential to be a game changer when it comes to homelessness. I am extremely optimistic. “

When asked how many honeymoons Blangiardi will have before showing clear results, Mizuno said that when it comes to homelessness, “people are never patient. The Hawaiian people are very forgiving and usually understanding, but they want results. “