Clothesline bill asks for right to dry in public housing projects

Not all housing projects allow clotheslines

By Catherine Cruz

Published  5:56 PM HST Feb 05, 2013

Rozell Fountain says she feels for the families who don't have the option of using a clothesline.

"It would be not feasible for those who can't afford five minutes for a quarter. it takes a lot of money," said Fountain.

Fountain said she grew up in Nanakuli using clotheslines.

“We had washers but we didn’t have dryers. The wind was our dryer,” said Fountain.

Fountain has friends who live in a Halawa housing project, who like her, don't get to line dry and have to do her laundry.

Families at two different Palolo housing projects do get to hang their clothes. They also are allowed to have laundry facilities in their units,

It's limited to washers only but they are glad for a place to hang their laundry.

With the breezes blowing, it sometimes takes only a half hour for things to dry.

Across town, only some families at Mayor Wright housing have access to clothes lines.

Those on the ground units are the lucky ones not so for those on the second or third floor.

"I hang inside the bathroom. I have a washer, but no dryer,” said Onin Esah.

Esah, who lives on the second floor, said with two young children, the laundromat costs add up quickly.

The Hawaii Housing Authority says it supports the intent of the bill, but says it’s not possible at all facilities where there is limited space or issues with high crime.

The right to dry dilemma, with green reasons for and against.