Kūpuna on the hunt for affordable housing have a new option in Honolulu: Ho‘ohiki Senior Living.
The new affordable community at 1002 N. School St. — developed by Highridge Costa Development Co. in partnership with the Hawai‘i Public Housing Authority — will soon welcome seniors 55 and older. The development will offer 249 rental homes reserved for households earning no more than 60% of the area median income. Income limits vary depending on household size; you can find the current income limits for the City and County of Honolulu here.
According to the community's website, Ho‘ohiki offers 32 studios, 208 one-bedroom homes, and 10 two-bedroom homes, one of which is a manager's unit. Amenities include parking, an exercise room, classrooms, an arts and crafts room, multi-purpose room with a kitchen, and computer lab, along with an outdoor recreation deck with walking paths, resident gardens and a stage.
Gov. Josh Green, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi, Hawai‘i Public Housing Authority Executive Director Hakim Ouansafi and Highridge Costa Development Co. President Moe Mohanna were among those who gathered Wednesday morning for a grand opening celebration and blessing.
Ouansafi told Aloha State Daily after the blessing that the project launched about 18 months ago. A storm earlier this year had caused some damage in the building because there were no windows, he said, noting that a three-month delay was initially estimated.
"We met again and we said, 'You know what? We need to do everything we can. Delays are not accepted' ... and to see today, still on time, it's actually a beautiful thing."
Ouansafi says, too, the idea that affordable housing has to be "this small, dark area" was unacceptable and new standards were needed.
"I believe, confident actually, that today we did set a new standard for affordable housing," he told ASD. "... You will not be able to tell that this is affordable housing — only in the name — and that is important. And we built it cheaper than what others would build it [for], just with the cooperation, collaboration, proper planning, not wasting time — time is money — and having some good partners. This will set the stage for what affordable housing should be, I think, for years to come. I'm very, very proud of it."
Honolulu City Council Member Tyler Dos Santos-Tam, who represents District 6, told ASD that there was a previous attempt to redevelop the site, "and the need was great then and it's even greater now."
"I take the bus most places, so I see the people who this project could benefit each and every day," he says. "Sometimes I talk to them. I talk to them about how much they pay in rent, how much they struggle just to make ends meet here. We need more options exactly like this."
When asked how he felt to be there Wednesday, Mohanna's response was simple.
"I could say just very, very grateful," he told ASD.
"The amount of work that goes into these communities in general, but specifically into affordable housing, it's years in the making just to get to a construction start," Mohanna says. "I know we always focus on construction because it's visible; you see something coming out of the ground. But as with any tree, the roots have to go first, then the tree starts coming out of the ground."
The roots, he says, is the community work, the design, approvals, the financing; that can sometimes take three to five years to get to the point the developer can start construction.
"That's where the heart really has to lead in knowing that one day you will stand in this community, and more important than stand in this community but come back ... and actually see the kūpuna that live here, meet them, talk to them, get to know them."
Applications for the community's housing lottery are being accepted now through Oct. 31, with the lottery set to take place Nov. 10. Applications received after Oct. 31 may be added to the project wait list. Find more information here.
Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
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