AT THE FRONTLINES OF HOMELESSNESS
Ben, a homeless man who sleeps just outside the Kapahulu Starbucks, gets ready to go into housing.
By Victoria Cuba
The slow beep of a garbage truck echoes down Iwilei Road. Pitched tents line the street. For those that live in them, it’s a rude awakening. A warning.
It means that it’s time for “the sweeps.”
The homeless begin to pack what they can in carts before the garbage truck comes along to crush their belongings. The truck is already chomping away at tents, worn mattresses, bikes and what little is left under their name. The sweep begins just across the men’s shelter for the Institute for Human Services, Hawaii’s oldest and largest homeless program, serving more than 1,600 homeless individuals a year.
City & County workers move the items left by the homeless on Iwilei during the island-wide "sweeps"
(Courtesy Star-Advertiser || Craig J. Kojima).
In the aftermath, IHS’ homeless outreach field manager Justin Phillips, 44, begins his rounds in the area. He hikes his worn backpack over his shoulder. In it are his wallet, some business cards and a Hydroflask filled with coffee. He’ll need it for the rest of the day to meet clients, both potential and established, that live on the street.
“Just to keep me going throughout the day,” said Justin. “Got to keep hydrated.”
Learn about Justin's story here.
Hawaii has the highest homeless population per capita in the country, it’s population reaching 7,921 in 2016. According to the state’s annual Point-In-Time survey, that’s 300 people more than the previous year.
Hawaii's Sheltered & Unsheltered Homeless over time
Part of Justin’s job is to go out into the community and talk to the homeless population, finding ways to get them into housing. He makes his way down Iwilei towards Aala Park, greeting everyone he passes by. Some of them fix their area on the sidewalk as much as possible, preparing for the sweep rolling up on them. Others seem unphased by it, feeding their pets or playing cards in their tents.
One man pushes another man in his cart, some of their items in the basket.
“Morning,” Justin said to them.
The cart-pusher returns the greeting.
“Everyone here I see is a regular,” said Justin. “Anyone from Waikiki to here.”
Justin’s “regulars” can range up to about 1,000 people, according to the 2016 Point-In-Time count done in the Honolulu area. That makes up for more 50 percent of Oahu’s unsheltered population.
Out of that population, Justin will typically see 200 people during outreach. He will only be able to talk to 20 of them, talking story to those that want to talk or giving out his business cards if they want to get in contact with him. Out of those 20, only five will contact him later to receive help. It’s tough work and he knows it takes more than seeing people once or twice to get them the help they need.
Justin crosses the street to the Aala Park, heading straight towards three men sitting under a monkey pod tree.
“How you guys been?” said Justin.
The man in the middle laughs, his right eye the size and color of a plum. His bleach-blond hair is short and spiked. He’s dons a dark, leather bomber jacket and jeans, even as the sun beams down on them. His laugh dies into chuckles as he grabs the left side of his torso.
“I got two broken ribs man,” says the man, explaining that two 20-year-olds jumped him in the early morning.
His companions chuckle. A man named Rob on his right sits in his wheelchair. The man to the far left is a man named Tristen, his skin brown from standing two hours daily on the side of the road with his cardboard sign.
Most of the money he makes from the pandering goes to his drug of choice: alcohol. Tristen says he hasn’t had a stable job for years, grabbing his right shoulder, slowly rotating his arm.
“I’m still hurting from an injury,” said Tristen.
“You should look into the security job at Wal-Mart,” said Justin.
“I don’t know man…” said Tristen.
“There’s no laborious work there,” said Justin. “Just check people’s receipts at the door. Good pay.”
Tristen continues to grab his shoulder, his brows raising at the thought of it.
“Huh,” said Tristen. “I neva knew that.”
Justin leaves the men with the idea, fist bumps and some business cards.
It’s not the first time that he’s talked to them. And it’s definitely not the last.
It’s Wednesday. And on that day Justin gets to do a different type of outreach. It means instead of walking the street to meet the homeless, like he usually does, Justin gets to ride in the company car: a rickety, rundown, olive-green Saturn. The sun has peeled away at the car’s exterior and it feels it could break down at any minute.
“It’s the ghetto car,” said Chad Koyanagi, IHS’ part-time and team psychiatrist. He and Justin also seem to be good friends, cracking jokes along the ride.
Vinnesha Bertola, the homeless outreach program administrator for IHS, drives the small vehicle. It’s a drastic change from her raised truck.
This group only meets once a week to work with a few, select homeless individuals for hours on end. These people may have a history with substance abuse or may suffer from mental illness, but the team provides them with resources and tries to convince them into going into housing. They may only get to meet with one or two clients a day due to the amount of time they spend with the individual.
(Top) The team: (from left to right) Vinnesha Bertola Chad Koyanagi and Justin Phillips.
(Bottom) Ben sits outside the Kapahulu Starbucks, ready to go into his new home.
“But it’s a long list,” said Vinnesha.
On this specific day, Hawaii News Now reporter Allyson Blair and her photographer, Joey, follow behind in their company car. Allyson is doing a story on the group’s work, having individually followed them the previous Wednesday. Throughout her time at Hawaii News Now, she has covered many stories on Hawaii’s homelessness, covering bills to profiles on those involved in the process. Today, she’s reporting on one of the Justin and his team’s special client.
Today, they’re meeting Ben, an old man who hangs out near the Starbucks on Kapahulu. Anticipation and excitement hang in the tightly squeezed Saturn.
That’s because after working with him for 4-5 years every week, Ben just might be ready to go into housing. Might.
“If Ben decides to go to the house…” said Justin.
“That’s a big gamble,” said Vinnesha.
“What if Ben doesn’t take the housing today?” said Chad.
“That’s fine,” said Justin. “That’s absolutely fine.”
The stakes are about as high today as afternoon sun.
The group pulls up into the parking lot and makes their way to Ben. He waves at Allyson, smiling. He’s wearing a slightly-dirtied white long-sleeved button up, dark jeans and a worn pair of dark vans. He sits on a folded, but dirty, comforter. A guitar, Ben’s most prized possession, lays in a leather case besides him. His area is tidied and he seems ready to go.
“I’m going into housing today,” Ben says to Allyson, who smiles at him. Joey follows just behind her.
He’s calm and collected, but he wasn’t always like this. When the team first met him, Ben was violent, swinging karate chops if they came his way.
“We haven’t been able to get this far with him except for the past three months,” said Vinnesha. She says it’s because they finally convinced him to take his medication to calm him down.
Chad and Vinnesha kneel down, peppering him with a few questions, making sure that he’s clear on his decision.
“I’m under the influence right now,” said Ben. His drug of choice is crystal methamphetamine.
“Well, at least you’re honest with me,” said Vinnesha.
“But I’ve only been using five-dollars worth,” said Ben.
Ben is only one of 873 homeless individuals on Oahu with a substance abuse problem, according to the 2016 Point-In-Time count.
Although IHS doesn’t encourage the use of substance abuse, Justin says that if that is taken away, it might deter them from going into housing.
“It’s better for them to go into housing first,” said Justin. “And then we can place substance abuse programs around them.”
Regardless of the influence, Ben says he’s ready to trade in the sidewalk for a home.
“But I’ll try to be back here,” he said.
He asks Justin for a smoke, using one of the two blue lighters that someone had handed him. Allyson asks him a few questions while he puffs at the stick, blowing billows of clouds. He tells her that he has four girlfriends.
“One of them tried to beat me,” he said.
After a while, he begins to play his guitar. This may be one of the last times he’ll be back at this spot, so he puts on a farewell concert. The woman in a nearby shop comes out to listen to him play. A man from out-of-town, who had a mini jam-session a week before with Ben, holds a coffee for Ben.
Homeless Subpopulations on Oahu
“I’m going to miss my music buddy when he leaves,” said the man, as he listens to Ben play.
Ben’s voice is rough, but his words are clear as day as he strums the last few notes to his song.
Ben plays his last song on Kapahulu.
Justin and his team help Ben out of the car. Allyson and Joey pile out of the car, ready to Ben is hesitant, anxiously scouring the area. This new house of his is on the outskirts of Kalihi Valley, just on the side of the Likelike.
“Hey, Justin,” said Ben. “Can I get my pack of cigarettes now?”
“I’ll just give you one,” said Justin. “I’ll give you the rest when you’re settled in.”
Ben inhales the smoke, as if it’ll be his last one.
The team and camera crew cross the street, following Ben to his new home. As they cross, Ben continues to check his surroundings.
“Where’s the bus stop?” he asks. “Is there a bus stop around here? I thought you said there’d be one.”
Justin gives Ben his last cigarette before he moves into his new home.
“It’s right there, buddy,” said Justin, pointing to TheBus’ concrete bench just a few houses down. “Don’t worry.”
Vinnesha and Chad walk past a gate. The house Ben will be staying in is hidden down a small walkway. Ben walks off towards the bus stop, the smoke from the cigarette trailing behind him.
After a couple minutes, Vinnesha and Chad walk back out. Frustration is etched on their faces.
“Where is he?” asked Vinnesha.
“He’s reminiscing at the bus stop,” said Justin.
Vinnesha sighs.
“What happened?” said Justin.
“They said that this isn’t the house he’s supposed to be staying at,” said Vinnesha. “They changed the address last minute.”
Vinnesha explains that this isn’t the first time this has happened. And when this happens, said Justin, it could deter their client from wanting to go into housing in the first place.
“You never know what’s going to happen,” said Vinnesha. “Every turn, every stop, he could be like, oh, I don’t wanna be here.”
“Welcome to a day in our work,” Justin sarcastically tells Allyson. “Just keep working with the struggles.”
Justin’s shoulders slouch a bit.
Ben slowly walks towards the group, stubbing out his cigarette with his slippers when he reaches them.
“So, are we going?” asked Ben.
Justin quickly straightens, and puts a smile on his face for Ben.
“Come on, buddy,” Justin says, pulling Ben along with him. “Let’s go.”
(Left to right) Ben, Vinnesha and Chad contemplate on what to do next, after being told that Ben was being sent to the wrong house.
The team takes Ben to the next house, driving down School Street. They pull up at a stoplight just outside of Kam Shopping Center when a homeless woman named Janet at the nearby bus stop calls out to them.
“You got any crystal meth?” Ben asks Janet.
Everybody in the car laughs.
“Oh my god,” said Vinnesha.
“That’ll be on Hawaii News Now,” said Chad.
The car pulls up in a cul de sac just outside of Kalihi Park Terrace.
“Hope we don’t get rerouted again,” said Chad.
Vinnesha and Justin help Ben with his bags as they walk towards Ben's new home. Hawaii News Now photographer Joey follows along.
Chad helps Ben out of the car, while Justin pulls his bags out. Allyson and Joey try to be one step ahead of Ben and the team. The camera begins to roll, ready to capture this important moment.
They walk up to a powder-blue, two-story house. Some of the other patrons of the house sit outside: two women talk story just outside of the open, screen door.
Justin walks behind Ben as they climb the stairs to his room
“What do you think, Ben?” said Justin.
“It’s acceptable,” said Ben.
“You ready?” said Justin.
"I'm ready," said Ben.
They head back down stairs to meet the house organizer. As Ben begins to get his checkup for the house, he begins to get agitated.
“What am I going to do about cash?” asked Ben, as he sits on a chair at the door. “I’m down to my last pack of cigarettes.”
“I have groceries for you, Ben,” said Vinnesha.
“We’ll be back, Ben,” said Justin, “We’re going to check on you again.”
As the team leaves, Justin reminisces on his work. It’s tough, but what he does and the outcome of the people involved with IHS is what keeps him coming back.
“I found a job that I love,” said Justin. “It doesn’t pay much, but it fills me up.”