County to launch safe parking program with Pulehu Road cleanup set for Wednesday-Friday
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Maui County is launching its new Safe Parking Program as it prepares for a large cleanup and relocation effort along Pulehu Road.
Led by the county's Department of Human Concerns, a multiagency effort Nov. 4-6 will focus on helping eligible people living along the road move to a designated temporary safe parking site in the Puunene area.
At the same time, crews plan to remove accumulated debris and abandoned vehicles and restore safe access along Pulehu Road.
To facilitate the cleanup, approximately 0.6 mile of Pulehu Road between Hookele Street and Hansen Road will be closed from 6 a.m. Wednesday through 6 p.m. Friday. Drivers should follow detour signs and expect traffic delays.
The new temporary site can accommodate up to 50 vehicles. It will have 24-hour security, access to drinking water, portable toilets and handwashing stations.
Outreach teams will be available to connect people with social services, housing resources and other assistance. Showers, laundry, food and other basic necessities also will be provided in coordination with community partners.
"This effort is about taking meaningful action to address a situation that has affected both the individuals living along Pūlehu Road and the surrounding community for far too long," Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said in a Monday news release.
"We recognize that people need a safe place to go, and that's why we’ve worked to establish an alternative before moving forward with the cleanup. Our goal is to restore safety and access to this area while treating everyone involved with dignity, compassion and respect."
The county said it has conducted extensive outreach in advance of the cleanup, working directly with people living along Pulehu Road to assess their needs, explain the relocation process and connect them with available services.
County crews have also been preparing the temporary site, including paving and other land improvements to accommodate vehicles and provide essential services.
The program launch and three-day cleanup will be coordinated by the Department of Human Concerns, Office of the Mayor, Maui Police Department, Department of Public Works, Department of Environmental Management and other county departments, along with community partners.
A central coordination site near Safeway will support communication and logistics among county agencies and community partners. Outreach teams will be stationed along Pulehu and Hansen roads to help people move to the new safe parking site, while additional teams will welcome arriving residents, help them settle in and connect them with available services.
The county said the new site is meant to provide a temporary alternative to roadside living while it continues working toward a permanent Safe Parking Program site and other long-term housing solutions.
"Establishing this site is an important first step, but our work does not end with it opening and the area being cleaned up," Department of Human Concerns Director Margaret Willis said. "We will continue working with our community partners to connect people with pathways toward stable housing, while expanding access to critical services that meet people where they are at."
According to the county, official notices were distributed to individuals living along Pulehu and Hansen roads Oct. 21, advising them of the planned relocation.
Originally scheduled for the week of Oct. 26, the operation was postponed because of severe weather.
County staff and community partners continued outreach efforts, including two visits Monday. As of Nov. 2, 23 individuals had expressed interest in relocating to the new safe parking site.
For more information about the Maui County Department of Human Concerns, visit mauicounty.gov/humanconcerns.