King urges signature on ‘sleeping zone for houseless,’ but Mayor’s Office waiting for bill

Maui County Council Member Kelly Takaya King issued a statement Thursday, urging Mayor Michael Victorino to sign a bill enabling the $200,000 county pilot project that allows houseless residents to sleep in vehicles at designated county parking lots.  

A Maui County spokesperson on Friday, though, told Maui Now that the amended bill has not yet been received by the Mayor’s Office. 

Introduced by King, Bill 108 was passed unanimously Tuesday by Maui County Council. It creates the framework to allow Maui County houseless residents to sleep in vehicles in county lots designated by county department heads.  

State law prevents people from sleeping in vehicles between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. while parked on public property but allows counties to make their own rules.  

Council unanimously approved a grant for up to $200,000 “to establish a safe zone or a sleeping zone for the houseless” as a pilot project in the fiscal year 2023 budget. 

“This is only the first step to what the community identifies as a major issue,” King said in a news release. “Constituents have been asking the county to consider a program like this for years, and I urge the mayor to sign the bill.” 

Human habitation within vehicles is only permitted after-hours under the bill, ensuring it won’t interfere with the parking lot’s hours for the general public, the release added. The bill also requires each person within a vehicle to register with authorized personnel. 

The budget ordinence requires consultation with Share Your Mana on the grant for the pilot project. 

“This is really historic in that this opens up the opportunity for so much safety for community members who have been living in very unsafe and dangerous conditions,” Share Your Mana founder Lisa Darcy said during testimony Tuesday.