Much Needed Senior and Veterans Housing to Be Built in Aiea and Hilo
Honolulu (August 24, 2021) – EAH Housing, an affordable housing nonprofit organization, announced today that it was awarded multiple financing awards from Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC) for the development of two affordable housing communities.
Halewilikō Highlands in Aiea was awarded $26.75 million in Hula Mae Multi-Family (HMMF) bond financing, over $1.9 million in annual state and federal low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC), and a Rental Housing Revolving Fund (RHRF) loan of up to $23.8 million.
The new development will be a 140-unit senior housing community on a former sugar mill site. Halewilikō Highlands will feature 83 studios and 56 one bedrooms, targeting people aged 62 and older, whose incomes are between 30-60% of the Area Median Income (AMI). As a senior housing community, it will include a multipurpose room, central laundry, technology lounge, library/reading room, resident gardens, and other outdoor amenities. EAH Housing will partner with a nonprofit operator to provide a wellness center.
“Hawai’i is in dire need of more affordable housing in every county, and every dollar towards it makes a difference,” said Marian Gushiken, director of real estate development, EAH Housing Hawai’i. “The HHFDC funds will leverage the land already committed by the City and County of Honolulu towards this project, which will help hundreds of seniors obtain the quality affordable housing and services they need to age in place with grace and dignity.”
The organization also received multiple awards for West Kawili Street Seniors/Veterans Housing in Hilo, including $24 million in HMMF bond financing, nearly $2 million in annual state and federal LIHTC, and $16.6 million in RHRF. Working in conjunction with Hawai’i Island Veterans Memorial, Inc. (HIVM), the new development is the residential component of a larger planned complex that will also include a veterans’ center and community-based outpatient clinic. HIVM will develop the clinic on an adjacent site.
“This has been our priority for many years, and we are grateful to see it coming together,” said Bob Williams, HIVM project manager and previous board chairman. “There are many people here who have dedicated their careers in service to the United States military, so it is only fitting that they can enjoy their golden years without worrying about being priced out of their home.”
West Kawili Street will be a 92-unit, one-bedroom rental apartment community, and will serve senior households with a preference to veterans and surviving spouses of veterans, earning 30%-80% of the AMI. The development features four residential two-story garden-style buildings on a 5.6-acre lot. Some of the planned amenities include a central community room with a kitchen, community gardens, common area lounge, coffee bar, fitness room, dog park, four central laundry facilities and property management offices.
“We are proud to partner with EAH Housing on these two important projects that address the needs of our kupuna and veterans,” said HHFDC Executive Director Denise Iseri-Matsubara. “With the cost of housing in Hawaii continuing to rise, these two projects will provide the type of foundational support needed by our kupuna and veterans in these communities.”
Construction for both developments will start in 2022 and should be completed by 2024.
About EAH Housing
Established in 1968, EAH Housing is one of the largest and most respected nonprofit housing development and management organizations in the western United States. EAH develops low-income multifamily housing, manages more than 222 properties throughout in California and Hawai’i, and plays a leadership role in local, regional, and national housing advocacy efforts.
