Human feces and urine. Rowdy, sometimes bizarre behavior. Suspected drug dealing. Discarded hypodermic needles.

Welcome to the appalling conditions at Kahului’s Hoaloha Park where hundreds of Maui keiki and adults go to train and enjoy the Hawaiian sport of canoe paddling at Kahului Harbor.

Leaders in the paddling community praise Maui police officers for responding to complaints of mischief, reportedly committed by homeless people or vagrants. Yet, law enforcement has been limitedly effective — homeless people swept out of one area move to another.

So, what can be done? According to the Coalition for the Homeless, a proven solution to homelessness is to stabilize people through shelter, move them into permanent housing and implement assistance programs.

Here’s an idea:

Alexander & Baldwin has 9,000 acres of developable, not-important-agricultural lands on its former Maui sugar cane fields.

Maui County could obtain some of that land, if necessary, through eminent domain; expedite land reclassifications and rezoning; and seek a private developer to build affordable rental housing through a request-for-proposals process. Then, finance the project — not with taxpayer money, but with private investor money through a tax-exempt special purpose revenue bond, and then pay off the bond with monthly rental from the residents of a safe, secure and attractive housing project.

Admittedly, it sounds costly, but so are hospital emergency rooms, police services and mental health and correctional facilities — not counting the toll of simple human suffering. Subsidized housing should be seen as more cost-effective and humane than institutionalization, and it would generate jobs, too.

The coalition reports that the “Housing First” program developed in New York City and replicated nationwide links people with mental illness, substance abuse disorders and other health problems with support services, either on-site or in the community.

In an imperfect world there’s no ideal plan, and such a plan would no doubt draw the ire of the not-in-my-backyard crowd. And, there would no doubt still be some hard-core homeless who’d choose life on the streets. But at least their numbers would be reduced by those who’d prefer clean sheets, bedding and a shower. And police would have fewer miscreants to cope with in Maui’s public parks and open spaces.

Maui voters need to complain loudly about the homeless inundation of Hoaloha and other county parks. They need to light a fire under our political leadership to develop a sense of urgency, a backbone and the will to find solutions, even imperfect ones. 

* Editorials reflect the opinion of the publisher.