West Hawaii Today - from archives > Local > Kaloko housing moves ahead

Kaloko housing moves ahead

Transitional, affordable rental project poised to build

by Bobby Command
West Hawaii Today
bcommand@westhawaiitoday.com
Tuesday, November 11, 2008 8:57 AM HST

Transitional housing and accompanying affordable rentals could be up and operating in Kailua-Kona by the end of next year -- if all goes as planned.

Hawaii County's Office of Housing and Community Development proposes to develop the Kaloko Housing Program facility on vacant, county property along Hina-Lani Street mauka of the Kaloko Light Industrial Park and makai of the second water tank.

The $7.5 million facility will include about two dozen transitional housing units to provide immediate shelter for homeless working families; between 32 and 72 long-term, affordable rentals for working families, and a warehouse that will provide operational space for the Food Basket and Habitat for Humanity, as well as job opportunities for residents.

Plans call for the county to lease the 8-acre property and program to Catholic Charities Housing Development Corp., which will design, build and manage the facility. Funding

has been approved through a government bond and the last step in encumbering the money is the sale of the bond.

"We hope to get this ready to go by the end of the month," said Jeremy Macomber of the Office of Housing and Community Development. "The current administration and council are quite familiar with this project, and so it would save us the time of having to provide briefings to a new mayor and council."

The Catholic Charities will be encouraged to provide an array of services tailored to address needs, such as life skills training, budgeting and credit counseling, job training and placement, educational referrals and nonprofit and community-based collaborative.

Units will be secure, yet user-friendly, integrating private quarters for families with communal uses such as classrooms and recreational facilities, and offering office space for support service providers.

The design is sensitive to the particular environment of Kaloko and seeks to minimize water use, as well as storm water and wastewater pollution.

Although not legally required, the project will also preserve an archaeological site and rare plants found within a lava tube and adjacent lava tube collapse feature. Local traffic impacts will be lessened by the design of the driveway and turn lanes from its Maiau Street entrance.

When completed, the transitional housing will replace the Kawaihae Transitional Housing, which is scheduled to be closed because of the prohibitive cost in replacing its cesspool. The facility is scheduled to be closed by June 30, but Office of Housing and Community Development is hoping it will be allowed to remain open until the new facility is opened.

Operated by Catholic Charities Hawaii on property owned by the Queen Emma Foundation, the Kawaihae Transitional Housing Program first opened in 1992. There are 24 single units serving 22 families.

The staff assists residents in getting jobs or gaining higher education by assisting with job applications, conducting mock job interviews and, if necessary, driving residents to job interviews.

"The program has served its purpose in Kawaihae, although it did not quite address the needs of those who lived in Kailua-Kona, since it was so far away," said Macomber. "However, the actual buildings have gone way beyond what they were intended to do."

December 2009