Honolulu's Homeless Once Again Lose Their Homes

A large encampment of homeless people in Honolulu is once again being told to hit the road. As reported by the New York Times, state redevelopment officials told the 100 residents of the encampment that their homes -- 75 or so tents lining the sidewalks and park near the University of Hawaii medical school in Kakaako -- will be torn down if they're still standing on March 15.

This is not the first time the homeless have been shuffled around in Honolulu -- and it's not likely to be the last. The Times quotes Doran J. Porter, executive director of the Affordable Housing and Homeless Alliance in Hawaii, on the ineffectiveness of constantly relocating the homeless population:

"My concern is that they need to have solutions of where these folks are going to go," [Porter] said. "We can't keep kicking them out of one place where they go to another. That's why they are there in the first place: they were kicked out of Waikiki and the beaches. This has been going on for years."

Like many cities across the country with a climate conducive to outdoor living, Honolulu has to struggle to balance the needs of the homeless population with the needs of its economy -- namely, the tourist industry. Throw in the lack of affordable housing and the fact that it's an island with limited space, and it's a tricky balance indeed.

According to KITV.com, the Hawaii Community Development Authority said that a nearby homeless shelter would bring in additional bed space as a temporary resolution to the mass displacement. But it's clear that without long-term solutions -- including affordable housing -- the situation may move, but it won't disappear.