City puts pressure on Kapiolani homeless
Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann announced Wednesday that the city has closed a section of Kapiolani Park frequented by homeless people.
The area, a grass strip between Kalakaua Avenue and the sidewalk, will be closed for “ongoing maintenance and beautification work,” according to Hannemann.
It was unclear how long the city would cordon off the grassy border along the street, but the homeless population in Kapiolani Park has been a growing concern for the past several years. Over the past month, dozens of homeless have set up tents and belongings on the grass strip in an effort to get around the city’s closure of the park.
Currently, portions of the park on the mountain side of Kalakaua are closed from midnight to 5 a.m., while portions of the park on the ocean side of Kalakaua are closed from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m.
Overnight camping is also not permitted in the park, but that hasn’t stopped a determined core of homeless who set up tents and move only when prodded by police.
“We are committed to keeping Kapiolani Park clean and safe for everyone,” Hannemann said in a news release.