User:Victor Santa Cruz/Homelessness issue in Oahu

Victor Santa Cruz Jr

5/15/2021

ENG-100

Homeless Issue in Oahu

Everyone one wants to at least visit the beautiful islands of Hawaii once in their lives. Especially the Oahu, which is one of the most popular islands to visit. It is well known for vacationing, business, and import/export of goods and this is all do to its prime location and positioning in the great Pacific Ocean. Many people also picture it as this perfect paradise to be see with lush greenery, clear blue waters, and amazing people. However, even though all of that is true, Oahu still has its problems. One of the big issues Oahu faces is its homeless population. The homeless population on Oahu has been steadily increasing over the years. It did however drop from being number one state with the biggest homeless population, with New York now ahead of Hawaii. This still doesn’t mean that the homeless situation isn’t an issue anymore and Hawaii is in fact still one of the top three states with the most homelessness. There are many problems that still arise on the island both for the homeless and those who aren’t homeless.

Where ever you go on Oahu whether it be to the beach, along the highways, at bust stops, or in towns, you will most likely always see a homeless person camping out or traveling around in the area. Especially in Waikiki you’ll see many homeless people living there on the streets or under canopies just chilling or asking for something to drink/eat. The homeless population has gotten so big on Oahu that the homeless people have created their own little communities with someone in charge of each one. They’ll keep each other in check and act like towns people of their own community. This actually can be seen slightly as a solution to the issue than a problem, because the homeless people in each community will help each other out if needed and they’ll keep each other in check, making sure no one causes trouble for the people around them so they don’t get deal with law enforcement. Still, issues will arise with the homeless people ranging from drugs, pollution, and harassment. This doesn’t mean however that the homeless people are the only ones causing all these problems. Even those who aren’t homeless will cause trouble towards the homeless people thinking it is okay since they are just homeless people. So, the problem with the homeless population goes both way with being homeless and not being homeless.

These issues that have arise with homeless and those who aren’t still come from the increase in homelessness on the island. Law enforcement have tried to find ways of handling the situation, but it becomes increasing difficult to handle with the more homeless people popping up in different areas. In an article by New York Times, written by Adam Nagourney, is tells the problems of homelessness through the life of a woman who has been homeless for 8 years. “Anna Sullivan is prohibited from sitting on a sidewalk. She cannot wander off to find food without worrying that the police might seize her shopping cart. She cannot sleep on Waikiki Beach without fear of being rousted.” Not only do people who aren’t homeless face problems, but those who are homeless face issues as well. In an article posted by Lt. Governor Josh Green, on the Hawaii.gov website, he says, “Hawaii is currently facing one of the worst homeless epidemics in the country with the highest rate of homelessness per capita in the nation.” Even the Hawaiian government has seen the issue and is trying to find ways to fix it, but haven’t come up yet with an absolute solution to the problem.

One of the reasons why most likely the homeless situation has been increasing can be because of the low minimum wage people make. The minimum wage in Hawaii right now is $10.10 an hour and this is not enough to keep up with everyday life. The cost of living in Hawaii is so high that you need a well-paying job to be able to live in Hawaii. Minimum wage is unable to provide for those who can’t get a well-paying job and eventually leads to many being unable to live in Hawaii. In an article by the the website, tombarefoot.com, they say, “Hawaii deservedly is viewed by the rest of the world as “paradise”. Even so people living in the islands, and their business and community leadership, are well aware of the fact that Hawaii faces some significant economic and human problems. The biggest ones are the cost of living and the fact that more than half of Hawaii’s people are struggling financially despite a booming tourist economy and full employment.” With many already understanding this financial situation for the people who can’t live off the pay they are receiving; nothing has been done by the government to change this. If they did fix the minimum wage to better suit the needs of people and help many get back on there feet, then the increase in homeless populations will surely decrease and get many back into the normal life of society.

In conclusion, with the increase of the homeless population in Oahu, many problems have appeared for both homeless and those who aren’t. I have seen both sides of the coin personally as well. I have seen homeless doing drugs on the side of the streets of Waikiki, one homeless man walked past me and whispered in my ear a racial slur (when I was not even of the race that he said), and I can always smell urine on the streets of Waikiki and in parking lots from the homeless people staying there. On the other side, I have seen tourists harass the homeless you see in Waikiki, I have seen a group of younger teenagers try to fight a homeless person, and I saw a homeless lady pass out next to Starbucks and the paramedics had to be called to help her. With the increase in homelessness, many negative outcomes have come out of it and a solution needs to be found in order to decrease this rise to help the homeless and to prevent discrimination from those who aren’t homeless against those who are.