Homelessness in Paradise

Author: Emily Pinchott

Caption: While I was in Hawaii I tried to figure out the best way to convey all the complexities of the issues at play in Hawaii from homelessness and destruction of natural habitat for residential or industrial space. While the photo I ended up going with is by no means perfect, I still think there is a story to tell. In Hawaii, because the costs of importation are so high, the value of material is also more. This has led to much of the homeless population going around collecting bottles and cans to sell, hence some of the bags in the image. There are two primary causes of homelessness in Hawaii, people from the mainland sending family members with mental illnesses over with a one way ticket, thinking that at least if they are to be homeless at least it’s in a tropical place where it doesn’t get too cold, and also the astronomical cost of living that forces the native population to either keep up and work multiple jobs or to be out on to the street. It’s definitely an unfair issue and it certainly doesn’t have an easy answer but to start it may be worth looking into the cost of living, efforts to conserve natural land, and the mental health crisis on the islands.

Tags: Injustice in Life