Mieko I. Mengelil – Kukui Tower

With its convenient location and short walk to the grocery store and bank, Mieko found Kukui Tower an ideal place to live with her family. Mieko and her husband Palan raised their two children while living in Kukui Tower. Now grown and graduated from college, their son works for the Communication and Transportation Department for the State of Hawaii.

Thanks to EAH Housing and their affordable rent, this couple was able to educate their children – something they wouldn’t have normally been able to do if they were paying market rate rents in Honolulu. With Palan retired from the City and County of Honolulu, Mieko is thankful for her affordable home at Kukui Towers. Both she and her husband are able to face retirement and know that their home will still be affordable in the future. Mieko states: “I really appreciate Hui Kauhale, Inc. & EAH Housing for making great improvements to the building and for maintaining such a caring staff.”

In 1976, HUD worked with private developers to build Kukui Tower, a property providing Hawaiians with 380 units of affordable housing. Since it was only contracted to remain affordable for twenty years, EAH acquired the property in 1996 to help to save it from becoming market-rate housing. EAH recently celebrated its ten year anniversary in Hawaii and continues to work with the community and HUD to preserve Kukui Towers’ affordability for over 1,100 residents.