City and state officials deny that they have plans to push homeless people away from Waikiki prior to November’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference, but their actions have shown otherwise. The homeless should be encouraged to find shelter and nourishment elsewhere, a move that would have a positive effect for them and for Hawaii’s tourism-based economy.

Marc Alexander, Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s homeless coordinator, insists that the state’s homeless policy "has nothing to do with APEC." Bridgit Holthus, the city’s deputy director of community services, similarly explains that arresting and relocating the homeless "is not something the city would do."

Still, nudges are not only needed but are a move in the right direction in the long range.

Indeed, Holthus has said the city might need to clean up parks and sidewalks in Waikiki for APEC and may "ask people to temporarily move while they clean. It’s not APEC-specific, though." All right, if she says so.

The APEC conference will be an international stage for Hawaii and especially Waikiki from Nov. 7-13, hosting about 20,000 attendees, including President Barack Obama and others heads of state from 21 members, plus political staff, business leaders and media. Alexander has said that this is a choice time to demonstrate "tough love" to the homeless who brazenly boast of enjoying the best of paradise on the cheap.

"We know that the homeless in Waikiki want to be there for the same reasons that you or I do," Alexander said. "But if we offer them food, bathrooms and a million-dollar view, there’s no reason to move. We have to make it a little uncomfortable so that they’ll get the help that they need."

Recent efforts to take back certain public areas like Queen’s Surf and Kapiolani Beach Park have prompted some homeless people to sneak onto vacant private properties in Waikiki.

Honolulu police spokeswoman Michelle Yu told the Star-Advertiser’s Allison Schaefers that property owners submit complaints about trespassing, graffiti and property damage, although Hawaii has no laws prohibiting what is known as squatting. Thus, said one frustrated property investor, "The cops tell them to go and they come right back."

Property owners, though, need to take responsibility to either keep their properties kempt and occupied, or invest in security and upkeep if they are absentee.

Overall, the efforts being made to discourage the presence of homeless in Hawaii’s tourism mecca may be having a slow but positive effect. The root of homelessness varies from case to case, but being enabled by government to take over public spaces should not be condoned as public policy.

The paths out of homelessness can be winding or arduous, but it’s not in the state’s best interest to have them overrun Hawaii’s economic engine.