HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0103.039 2020-2022 105
From: Emily Robinson
Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2021 2:01 PM
To: council-testimony@hawaiicounty.gov; Council Testimony
Subject: Budget input/Homeless
Hello, I wanted to sound the alarm about a problem that is plaguing many cities on the mainland and which is still
manageable here on Hawaii: the growing number of people without homes.
My husband and I recently moved here from Seattle, where the problem has become unmanageable, and the fixes
are so expensive no one wants to face the problem. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT HAWAII DO WHATEVER IT
TAKES TO PREVENT THE HOMELESS SITUATION FROM GETTING OUT OF CONTROL the way it has in other cities.
The homeless situation in Seattle is causing problems which cost the city vast amounts of money:
I
--HUGE piles of garbage accrete in parks, on freeway onram s, under freeways, and basically any Public open
space. The city simply cannot keep up with the cleanup required.
--People who are sick, mentally ill, or have drug problems cost the city in terms of crime, ambulance runs, and
hospital treatment
--Fires are set regularly and which get out of control, causing the fire department to have to answer to fires on a
daily basis
--Parks have been overrun; people have basically stopped going to parks or taking their children there
Personally, our experience includes: -
--Our house was in danger of fire from an out-of-control fire set just 30 feet from our home
--I myself have walked in on people shooting up in park bathrooms next to playgrounds,
--A neighbor found human feces in her garbage can
Public health issues:
--Seattle and other cities cannot provide public bathrooms, because of the abuse they get. Thus the tens of
thousands of homeless have nowhere to go but in public places
--The garbage and pollution is massive and the city can't keep up. Public areas are full of trash, furniture, tents,
needles, etc. that even an ordinary person that wants to help doesn't have the resources to do safely.
--I hope by now people have realized the huge risk of a large population of people without access to health care,
masks, or immunization poses in the context of a pandemic
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Comm. No.
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Ref. To:
1 Ref, ate MAY —�—
I have every sympathy for people who find themselves without a home. | by no means intend to demonize these
people. They need and deserve help from those of us who have benefited from rising property values. Not liking
the situation does not mean we don't like the people who are homeless. Whatever one's reason for disliking the
homeless situation, everyone agrees something should bedone.
Problems like that Seattle faces would also severely hurt Hawaii as a popular tourist destination. | am not sure what
percentage of police, ambulance and public health services are called on to address problems in the homeless
community in cities like Seattle, but I'm sure it is huge and would be easy to research. |nother words, however
expensive it appears to proactively address the needs of homeless people here to get them the treatment and
shelter they need, itwill beworth itinthe long run. The consequences ofnot taking action now FAR exceeds the
costs mfpreventative measures. Again, Hawaii should do and pay whatever it takes NOW, before it's too late.
Thank you for listening!
Sincerely,
Emily Robinson
Kai|ua-Kona, H| 9674O