Tents line Kuwili Street in Chinatown, with trash littered haphazardly, frustrating local community members.
Yet for some residents, like Chris, these tents provide critical shelter. Homelessness is on the rise nationally, and rising living costs and gentrification are pushing native Hawaiians out onto the streets.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2023 Annual Homeless Assessment Report states 62.8% of Hawaii’s homeless are currently without shelter, the third highest rate in the nation.
For people like Chris, escaping the streets is not a cut and dry process. She described a reality where everyday her possessions are ransacked, hope for employment lost alongside social security/ID cards.
“Do you know how long it takes to get into housing? Ten years,” she said, explaining how missing an appointment can lead to losing said housing.
Due to the enclosed nature of Oahu, people often live in close proximity to the homeless.
Resident Hens Vanderschoot, 61, grew up in the Bahamas, observing the way homelessness occurred across the islands. He noted the issue has worsened since the pandemic.
“There’s a lot of people that decided they just don’t want to work anymore,” he said.
Vanderschoot was not overwhelmed with optimism for the future.
“I guess I don’t have a lot of hope that the government will do that. But I don’t think it’s going to take major funding. I don’t know that the local governments even can do it. It seems like it’s at a national level. Not just Hawaii, it’s everywhere. At a national level, I mean, we’re in a quagmire, right?”