Another day, another step towards more affordable housing on O‘ahu.
The City and County of Honolulu this week selected EAH Housing as its "preferred negotiating partner" for the redevelopment of 436 Ena Road into long-term affordable rentals.
In an announcement Thursday, the city said that the 6,000-square-foot parcel, located just off of Kalākaua Avenue, includes an empty eight-story building and a detached parking structure.
"Originally constructed in the early 1990s and later converted to residential use, the building was operated by the city as affordable rental housing until 2023," the announcement notes. "The selected team will be tasked with redeveloping the property to maximize long-term affordability with utmost efficiency and quality."
EAH Housing, a nonprofit housing organization that has worked in the Islands for more than three decades, is the lead developer, but the development team also includes Guam-based co-developer Core Tech and project architect Lowney Architecture.
“We’re honored to partner with the city on this important effort,” Laura Hall, president and CEO of EAH Housing said in the announcement. “Affordable housing remains one of Honolulu’s most pressing challenges, and this project offers a meaningful opportunity to add to the housing inventory. We are committed to delivering high-quality homes that are affordable for the long term and support a more inclusive, sustainable future for Honolulu’s residents.”
Core Tech Hawai‘i Vice President Dominic Jeon told Aloha State Daily in an emailed response to questions that both Core Tech and EAH are experienced Low-Income Housing Tax Credit developers.
EAH, he says, "is a terrific partner and is one of the most respected housing development organizations in the country. We are excited about our partnership and look forward to helping EAH and the City to create affordable housing for Hawai‘i’s families."
"From our experience on Guam, there is nothing more gratifying than knowing that you have helped local families by creating affordable housing," Jeon says. "I have lived here now for almost a decade – and a constant complaint is that our children won’t be able to afford to live here and they will not be able to afford their own homes. We at Core Tech Hawai‘i want to see how we can change that."
Partnering with the development community to build housing on city-owned lands is one of the components of a strategic housing plan the city unveiled earlier this year. You can find the plan here.
Around the time the strategic plan was announced, Honolulu issued a request for qualifications for the redevelopment of four underutilized city-owned properties into affordable rental projects: 1615 Ala Wai Blvd., 436 Ena Road, 130 S. Beretania St.; and 1421 Pensacola St.
As for the latest milestone, Kevin Auger, director designate of the city's Department of Housing and Land management told Aloha State Daily in an emailed response to questions, "We're genuinely excited about this. Properties have been sitting and now they’re becoming part of the solution.
"Waikīkī is one of the most challenging markets on the island when it comes to affordability, which makes this project even more important," he continued. "We’re really turning the corner and gaining momentum in executing our strategic plan to activate dormant public land to develop the kind of housing our residents truly need."
What does the city hope to see in this Ena Road space?
Auger says that the goal is to deliver affordable rental housing through a long-term ground lease.
"We want high-quality units that serve local residents, and we expect the redevelopment to make full use of the site — efficiently, responsibly and with long-term affordability in mind," he told ASD. "This is about turning an underutilized property into a real community asset. That means thoughtful design, community engagement and a project that reflects the needs of Waikīkī while adding lasting value. The specific unit count and income targeting will be determined through the predevelopment process once plans are further defined."
Auger says that the city has set a timeline with its preferred negotiating partners of 120 days to complete a development contract.
"From there, we want to move quickly into predevelopment," he continued. "The goal is to get this project into production as soon as possible."
This is the latest in the city's efforts to bring affordable housing to the island.
Just last week, the city announced that it had selected a preferred development partner for the redevelopment of 1615 Ala Wai Blvd. in Waikīkī.
The city, which acquired that property through condemnation in January 2024, demolished in July the existing, dilapidated apartment building that once sat there to make way for a future affordable housing development.
Centre Urban Real Estate was named as the city's "preferred negotiating partner" for that project.
Auger says the city is finalizing the next steps for 130 S. Beretania and 1421 Pensacola, "and expect to have an announcement ready in the coming weeks — so stay tuned."
"We're continuing to evaluate the best path forward for each site to ensure we maximize public benefit."
The city says that all projects selected under the RFQ will "undergo robust community engagement, environmental review, land use approvals, and financial structuring as part of the next phase of development."
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Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
