Low-income hurt by rental increases
Bill 319 was on the County Council Health and Human Services Committee agenda the other day and no one seemed to care. It was postponed to the call of the chair. Why? I don’t understand why people don’t care about kupuna who live in public housing projects. Do they think we are moochers? Do we not deserve the same Constitutional rights as other citizens? Do we not deserve the same tenant rights as other tenants?
Housing Director Stephen Arnett seems to have snookered County Council members into believing he bears no responsibility for horrible things that happen to our kupuna in publicly supported housing. Exactly the opposite is true. The County Council is also the county housing authority, and as such is responsible for setting policy for public housing.
The county tells kupuna housing managers what policies they may enforce. And if management violates kupunas’ Constitutional rights, it is Mr. Arnett who is responsible under federal guidelines for modifying the contracts the county has with the owners of those projects.
Why is this not being done? Why are rents being increased by 22 percent at Ainakea Senior Residences, owned by Keith Kato? Why over the past year have rents been raised 25 percent at Ke Kumu Ekahi, owned by the Hawaii Public Housing Agency? That is 300 percent above the statewide average for all rentals.
Tenants at Ke Kumu are minimum wage families; some are Section 8, some are Social Security and/or disability recipients. Their fixed incomes certainly cannot tolerate a 25 percent increase with a corresponding increase of $149 in a security deposit.
I am sure it is not the goal of the Hawaii County government to force more homelessness on low-income tenants who already have secured housing. Many current Ke Kumu tenants are now flocking to the Catholic Charities food bank in Waimea just to feed their children. Please tell the mayor to make this stop.
Daveline Ching and Lanric Hyland
Kona
Luncheon much appreciated
The Hawaii Community College in Kealakekua held a Thanksgiving luncheon and food drive that was very successful. The luncheon itself fed many students and members, alike.
The admission was a canned food product. The student chefs, culinary staff members and professors presented the event professionally and with aloha.
The food drive resulted in the containers being filled only minutes after the event started.
Mahalo to the HCC culinary student chefs, staff members and professors.
J.A. Mulvihill
Kona