Photo credit: Cathy Bussewitz, AP. TimesUnion.com
Honolulu City Councilwoman and U.S. FWN 100™ '07 Kymberly Marcos Pine speaks on her concerns about banning sitting and lying down on sidewalks at a recent rally in Honolulu.
A group of affordable housing advocates in Hawaii is calling on city and state leaders to take action on homelessness.
They rallied outside Honolulu City Hall asking officials to create concrete goals and monetary commitments to provide more affordable housing on Tuesday, the day before the Honolulu City Council was scheduled to vote to expand the ban on sitting and lying down on sidewalks.
Demonstrators spoke about the need to develop more housing for the growing number of homeless people living on the streets.
"It's sad to see when they're working and they can't afford to put a roof over their heads," said Arlene Young, a retiree and member of St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church.
Councilwoman Kymberly Marcos Pine, who voted against the initial sit-lie ban and its subsequent expansions, said she is deeply concerned about the policy, adding that in other cities where similar policies have been adopted, the problem of homelessness has not been solved.
"As a Hawaii resident who has been taught love and aloha and compassion for our people, I felt this is not us," Pine said. "This is not how we treat those that are suffering the most in our community."
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News story courtesy of Times Union