Key Takeaways

• A Maui County bill aims to compassionately relocate individuals in homeless encampments, ensuring outreach and personal property storage.
• The proposal mandates the presence of female officers during encampment clearings involving women and girls, with a focus on crisis intervention training.
• Councilmember Gabe Johnson emphasizes the need for a respectful process, criticizing current removal methods as harmful and ineffective.

Maui County’s Compassionate Relocation Bill

A new bill introduced in Maui County, Hawai’i, seeks to compassionately relocate individuals living in homeless encampments. The proposed legislation outlines a clear process that includes providing prior notice before any clearing of encampments, allowing individuals to stay with their domestic partners during the move, and ensuring safe storage for their belongings.

As proposed amendments to Bill 111, contracted outreach providers will be required to attend encampment removals. Additionally, if police involvement is necessary, the county must make a “reasonable effort” to have a female officer present when women or girls are involved, and one officer must have crisis intervention training.

Public sentiment around the bill has been largely positive, as noted in a recent committee hearing, although further revisions are needed. Councilmember Gabe Johnson, the bill’s author, stated that he remains committed to the initiative, despite it being tabled for the time being.

The context for this legislation is heightened, as various levels of government are implementing stricter measures against homeless encampments following a Supreme Court decision that upheld anti-camping laws. This trend is seen across the country, including California, where Governor Gavin Newsom has proposed banning encampments on state-owned land. In Hawai’i, similar measures have led to the clearing of numerous encampments, including 45 in Diamond Head on Oʻahu.

Hawai’i faces significant homelessness challenges, with its rates exceeding the national average by more than 3.5 times—affecting approximately 80.5 individuals per 10,000 residents, according to the University of Hawai’i Economic Research Organization. The report highlighted issues particularly acute on Maui, which is still recovering from devastating wildfires earlier this year.

During the committee meeting, Johnson expressed concern that existing encampment removal processes are exacerbating issues rather than alleviating them. A recent study he referenced pointed to rising housing costs and income inequality as core contributors to the homelessness crisis in the county. Johnson stated, “Punishing the houseless, alienating them and sweeping them like trash does nothing to address this root cause.” He emphasized that the bill aims to facilitate a dignified and respectful process for relocating homeless individuals.

Despite the bill’s potential for legal challenges, First Deputy Corporation Counsel Mimi DesJardins urged greater flexibility in its provisions, particularly concerning storage solutions for personal property as outlined in the current draft.

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