YPDA condemns "compassionate disruption" holiday sweeps
There is nothing compassionate about Mayor Kirk Caldwell's continued policy of "compassionate disruption." This city policy weaponizes Honolulu's sit/lie ban ordinances to sweep people and families experiencing homelessness from tourist- and business-centric areas out of sight and out of mind. It is particularly cruel, and entirely unnecessary, for the city to engage in this harmful tactic during the holidays, adding yet more stress and trauma to an already difficult situation and time of year for those without homes.
Let us be clear: "compassionate disruption" and sit/lie bans do nothing to address homelessness. These policies have not resulted in any progress whatsoever toward solving the problems that cause homelessness. Forcibly relocating people experiencing homelessness from one place to another is not a solution.
The only thing these policies accomplish is harm: harm to families trying their best to find some semblance of joy during the holidays in an otherwise bleak existence; harm to individuals trying to get back on their feet whose possessions are confiscated; harm to those who are trying to find work and stay on top of their difficult schedules and now have additional legal challenges to work out; harm to the moral fabric of our society as those we should look on as brothers and sisters, with genuine compassion and empathy, are treated as less than human.
Shelters are meant to be temporary refuges as needed. By their very nature, shelters can never be permanent solutions. The final destination for those experiencing homelessness must be a home, or we have failed to live up to the ideals of a democratic and equitable society, and to our values as an island ʻohana. And yet, in conjunction with these sweeps, Honolulu shelters continue to push for expanded budgets to take in more homeless individuals and families, and use the increased intake numbers from the sweeps themselves as justification for more funding. Shelters should be working to put themselves our of business, not to develop fiefdoms that profit from the problem they claim to be addressing. This revolving door of self-fulfilling, self-serving policies is part of the problem, not the solution.
The Honolulu City Council should immediately move to prevent the mayor from carrying out these sweeps and should pass legislation investing taxpayer money toward actual solutions to homelessness. These include immediate fixes like "Housing First" programs, mental health and drug treatment programs, and the army of case-workers and service providers necessary to asses the varied and complex situations people find themselves in when they lose their way.
But a solution to homelessness also requires, fundamentally, long term fixes that address the serious flaws in our exploitative economy and social systems. Workers should earn enough to live on, no matter who they are or what their skill set includes. We must build an adequate housing supply aimed first and foremost at those folks living paycheck to paycheck. Healthcare, including mental health and drug treatment care, must be provided to all residents as a right. And the criminal justice system must be completely transformed from a punitive system that—like "compassionate disruption" itself—provides only worsened outcomes, to a restorative system that reconnects people with family, place and identity and helps them become productive and fulfilled members of society.