Denise Iseri-Matsubara, executive director of Catholic Charities Housing Development Corporation, has supported the development of homes in Hawai‘i, in one way or another, for the past 20 years.
"I come from the countryside in Kahalu‘u, and I saw how our families all struggled with housing," she told Aloha State Daily this week, when asked why she was passionate about affordable housing.
She saw her cousins living in harsh conditions and her part-Hawaiian grandfather "slave away and telling us how important it was for the family to have a good foundation in order to survive, for the family to grow."
"Seeing all that hardship and then really watching how hard my family worked to make housing a priority because they strongly believed that that was the foundation you needed to raise a family so that there was stability. ... It's just seeing that oppression and realizing you've got to work hard — if you have an opportunity to help make things better for the next generation and for others, you better take it."
Iseri-Matsubara was named executive director of CCHDC, the development arm of Catholic Charities Hawai‘i, late last year, but before that worked as the executive director of the City and County of Honolulu's Office of Housing and spent several years at the Hawai‘i Housing Finance and Development Corp., the state agency that oversees affordable housing finance and development in Hawai‘i, including as executive director. Her involvement in housing goes back to 2005, working at the state Department of Hawaiian Homelands, she said.
Catholic Charities Hawai‘i has been around since 1947, but CCHDC was incorporated in 1999 as a nonprofit affiliate. It owns, develops and manages real estate properties in Hawai‘i, aiming to provide affordable housing to the elderly, those with special needs, and socially or economically disadvantaged individuals and families.
Iseri-Matsubara said there's around 490 units in its inventory now.
"I think that the beauty of Catholic Charities Housing Development Corp. is we're also a part of Catholic Charities Hawai‘i, that is out there with the social programs to serve the seniors, to serve the families and the youth, especially those youth that are aging out of foster care. ... We have the total package. We're a nonprofit. We're committed to truly helping the community. We didn't just create this nonprofit development arm to secure grant funding. It really did emerge out of a huge need to really help people get housed."
CCHDC has The Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Hale Hoaloha, which provides short-term affordable housing to "individuals and families working toward self-sufficiency"; Meheula Vista, a senior affordable rental community in Mililani Mauka; and Kahului Lani, an affordable senior rental housing development in Kahului.
Its most recent project, Hale Pilina — a new affordable housing complex in Kahului — broke ground earlier this month.
Located on a nearly five-acre lot at 150 S. Pu‘unēnē Ave., the complex will ultimately have two three-story and two four-story buildings. Half of the 178 apartments will be one bedroom units while the other half will be two-bedroom units, CCH said in an announcement.
With ample green space, and located close to a county pool, the post office and bus depot, as well as food and shopping opportunities, Iseri-Matsubara said the development will be a "wonderful place to raise a family."
The development also will provide an opportunity for families displaced by the wildfires in August 2023. For the first two years, those families will have first priority, Iseri-Matsubara said.
According to CCH, these apartments will be available for families earning up to 60% of the area median income. Per Maui County's 2024 income limits and affordable rent guidelines, 60% AMI is an income of $66,480 for a household of four, however, qualifying incomes vary based on household size.
“The need for affordable housing across Maui has never been greater,” said Catholic Charities Hawai‘i CEO and President Tina Andrade said in a May 9 announcement. “Hale Pilina represents more than just a housing initiative. It embodies hope, healing, and our dedication to supporting the people of Maui as they rebuild their lives and communities.”
Iseri-Matsubara echoed those sentiments.
"There's an overall, huge need for housing — period — just within the state," she said.
It takes years for projects like this to reach this point.
"I've been in the role as a funder and regulator for over a decade in government, at both the state and county level, and now as a nonprofit developer, this gives me a whole [new] perspective and a much greater appreciation of what it takes to secure financing and get a project like this to break ground, because it really takes a lot to keep a project from being derailed," Iseri-Matsubara said.
According to CCH, work on Hale Pilina is expected to be complete in the second quarter of 2027, with residents moving in by the end of that year. Maryl Group Construction Inc. is the contractor and Design Partners Incorporated is the architect.
Iseri-Matsubara said the total project cost is around $114.6 million.
Financing was provided through federal and state Low Income Housing Tax Credits, the state Rental Housing Revolving Fund, Maui County Affordable Housing Fund and Maui County HOME Fund, CCH said.
Check out a flyover rendering of the project here.
Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
