Maui council member seeks solutions to compassionately address homelessness

A bill to establish a process to decommission encampments in Maui County will be discussed in the Water Authority, Social Services, and Parks Committee on Thursday, Sept. 4, Council Member Gabe Johnson announced.

Johnson, who is the Vice-Chair of the committee, introduced the original Right to Shelter Bill in 2021, following the former administration’s removal of property on Amala Place. This removal process led to the recent Hawaiʻi Supreme Court ruling against the County.

Bill 111 (2024) and amendments respond to this ruling and will be introduced as a solution to create a pathway for compassionately and respectfully addressing unhoused people in Maui County.

Johnson said “forcibly relocating unhoused people while having insufficient shelter beds and services has proven ineffective. It has also been proven costly and harmful to individuals in crisis and other residents,” he said, noting that the approach “only moves the unsheltered to other areas within our community.”

Johnsons said the real problems persist: “Housing costs have continued to rise, shelter and treatment options remain limited, housing and temporary housing solutions have not been created, and a majority of Maui County residents do not earn enough to cover essential costs.”

A report prepared in 2024 for the County and initiated by funding set aside by the County Council, titled “Recommendations to Address Homelessness in Maui County,” reviewed empirical evidence and identified housing availability, cost, and income inequality as the root causes for homelessness and housing insecurity. These root causes determine the extent of homelessness; but social inequities, system failures, and personal circumstances determine who ends up becoming unhoused, according to Johnson’s account.

“To have an effective strategy, we need to establish community consensus and shared goals,” said Johnson. “Legislation like Bill 111 (2024) is the opportunity we need to come together and establish consistent, compassionate, and transparent policies for addressing the removal of encampments rather than creating more problems down the road.”

The report to address homelessness identified the need for stakeholders to come together and actively participate in meaningful coordination. Bill 111 (2024) was introduced and heard in committee last year. This bill is scheduled to be discussed on Sept. 4 in the WASSP Committee. If more time is required, the meeting may recess, then resume on Sept. 5.

According to Johnson, in its current form, Bill 111, CD1, (2024) “implements clear timelines to notify encampment occupants of a scheduled relocation; requires that sufficient shelter accommodations exist before occupants are removed; establishes procedures for the storage and retrieval of personal property; and requires that outreach and service providers are included in the process.”

“As long as the root systemic problems of housing unaffordability and income inequality exist, it is our duty to meet community needs with shelter options and support systems for our most vulnerable, which this bill seeks to do,” said Johnson.

For more information, call the Office of Council Services at 808-270-7838 or email Councilmember Johnson at gabe.johnson@mauicounty.us. To view meeting agendas, visit mauicounty.us/agendas.