Homeless problem
‘Anini is one of the most beautiful spots we have on island. The barrier reef makes it amazing for families and children to have a safe day at the beach.
It’s such a diverse place, you can whip for papio, get tako, snorkel and dive, and there’s shade on the beach. It’s truly one of the islands best assets.
When I was a teenager, me and my friends would spend most of our days down there, playing in the ocean and being with our families.
It seems as though in the past five years, we have had a large influx of homeless people. Most of the people down there who are homeless are from here. They are classmates, cousins, and old friends that once had it together. I truly feel for them. I just don’t know what the answer is with the homeless problem that’s happening down there.
There was a time when we all felt safe to camp down at the beach park. With the amount of homeless people there, I don’t think that many of the local people feel safe.
There’s a lot of drugs among them, and cars being broken into are at an all-time high. There was a time when if you parked on the side of the road to look at the ocean, and you’re facing the wrong direction, you would get a ticket. Well I guess those days are gone.
Now you have the same homeless people living in their cars with no insurance, no license plates or safety check facing the wrong direction and nothing happens. I’m not sure if the police have just given up. I’m not sure if it’s something they just simply don’t wanna deal with.
I do know that something needs to happen before it gets worse. I know we have a homeless problem all over Kaua‘i. But for me this is the only place that I experience what’s going on.
What can we do to help these people? What can we do to help the police do their job? Are there any solutions to making it a safer environment for our children and families?
Rick Hurst, Kilauea
