Housing authority looks at expanding low-income units

This article originally appeared at KITV.com

Kukui Gardens in Honolulu is affordable housing managed by EAH Housing.

HONOLULU —Affordable and low-income housing is hard to come by in Hawaii.  So much so that the Hawaii Public Housing Authority director calls it a crisis.
On Tuesday, the HPHA announced a new plan that will bring upwards of a thousand new homes.
In the heart of Kalihi-Palama sits the HPHA offices and maintenance building.
“We feel that using six acres for our offices is a waste,” said HPHA Exec. Director Hakim Ouansafi.
That’s why the state wants to tear down these old buildings and construct new offices along with 600 to 1,000 additional public housing units on this site.  On Tuesday, the state opened the request for submission for developers interested in taking on the task.
“We are looking at all and any creative ideas to reduce the amount of costs to build now  Right now, it is $400 a square-foot.  We know that creative ideas could coast about $167 a square-foot, which is almost half,” said Ouansafi.
Some of those ideas include container homes — using massive shipping containers and stacking them to become additional units or microunits.
If the project at the School Street housing project is successful, HPHA says it will look for other sites near rail — all to increase the low-income housing stock which is almost near capacity.
“Our wait list is growing.  Our occupancy is at 100 percent,” said Ouansafi.
The HPHA director says he’s very aggressive about the timeline on this project.   He hopes to name a developer by this spring and break ground on this project in 18 months.
The developer will fund most of the costs of the project, but some will be from the state.  HPHA says the state may have to fork over $40,000 per unit — funds which have not been secured yet.  The deadline for developers to submit their proposals is March 10.

EAH Housing now accepting rental applications for Rice Camp Senior Apartments

LIHUE — With the first phase of the Rice Camp Senior Apartments set for completion in March, rental applications are now being accepted by the project’s management company, EAH Housing.
Rice Camp, a 60-unit affordable housing community, is situated on two parcels on Hoala Street behind the Lihue fire station.
Rice Camp is being developed by the Vitus Group in partnership with the County of Kauai and EAH Housing.
“Providing affordable housing for our residents is a top priority for us. We are focusing a lot of effort in this regard, and are very pleased that 60 affordable rental units that are in close proximity to senior services will soon be available to our kupuna,” said Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr.
“We are extremely excited and thankful for all the partners and support for this project, from the county, state and federal agencies and legislators to the private developer, contractors and lenders that will make Rice Camp available to Kauai’s seniors this March,” said Kauai County Housing Director Kamuela Cobb-Adams.
Rice Camp consists of one- and two-bedroom apartments organized in six single-story buildings and one two-story building.
The one-bedroom units will rent for $766 a month while rent for the two-bedroom units will be $921 a month. Utility costs are included in the rents.
The amenities for Rice Camp include: Energy Star appliances; water-saving fixtures; ceiling fans; accessible walkways throughout the property that lead to community garden plots; and a community center with management offices and a space to hold social and community activities.
Applicants must meet all eligibility requirements including HUD income limits — $38,160 for one person and $43,620 for two people.
“Vitus Group recognizes the incredible need for affordable rental housing on Kauai, and we are working diligently on the planning for the second phase of Rice Camp,” said Makani Maeva of Vitus Group, Inc.
“EAH Housing is pleased to once again work with our friends at Vitus Group and Makani Maeva on a community that provides our kupuna with a sense of independence and freedom,” said Kevin Carney, vice president of EAH Housing. “We look forward to future partnerships to create more housing for those in need.”
The Rice Camp Senior Apartments are in line with the mayor’s Holo Holo 2020 vision for Kauai. His vision calls for all organizations, businesses, residents and visitors on Kauai to be part of creating an island that is sustainable, values the native culture, has a thriving and healthy economy, cares for all — keiki to kupuna — and has a responsible and user-friendly local government.
The land was purchased by the county for $2.3 million from San Mateo, Calif.-based Westridge Properties, LLC in October 2012 to specifically address affordable senior housing needs.
The county leveraged the land ($2.3 million) and $1.25 million of HOME funds to compete and win an award of federal and state Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) from Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation. These LIHTC resulted in about $15 million of investment from private entities which was used to fund the development of Rice Camp Phase 1.

This article originally appeared in The Garden Island