Ikaika ‘Ohana developed the Kaiwahine Village project in South Maui, where high construction costs have limited development in an area with a severe affordable housing shortage. A blessing is planned for a later date.

KAHULUI – Kahului Lani Phase I in Kahului and Kaiwahine Village in Kihei were recently completed and quietly opened amid the Coronavirus pandemic.

“Maui has been hit the hardest during this pandemic with the highest unemployment rate in the state,” said Gov. David Ige.

“The need for affordable housing has never been greater, and we commend everyone who worked through these challenging times to make these completions possible.”

A small, private blessing was held for Kahului Lani Phase I, an 82-unit rental located near Queen Ka’ahumanu Center.

Rents range from $470 to $875 per month for seniors over 55 years of age.

The project was developed by Catholic Charities Housing Development Corporation.

Hale Mahaolu is the property manager for the project, and 82 additional units in Phase II are expected to be completed by early 2021.

Residents began moving into Kaiwaihine Village in Kihei in May.

The 120 homes are being rented to households earning 30 to 60 percent of the area median income, with rents starting at $510 for a two-bedroom unit and $571 for a three-bedroom unit.

Both projects received financial assistance from the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), Rental Housing Revolving Fund (RHRF) and Hula Mae Multi-Family (HMMF) Bond programs administered by the State of Hawaii’s Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC).

“Now more than ever, construction plays a critical role in creating jobs while also filling the pre-existing need for more affordable housing,” said Denise Iseri-Matsubara, interim executive director of the HHFDC.

“We need to make sure we’re doing all that we can to keep projects in the pipeline on track to keep production going and help our economy recover.”

Another project scheduled to be completed this year is Hale Mahaolu Ewalu II in Pukalani (22 senior rentals).

Projects slated to be finished in 2021-22 include Kenolio Apartments in Kihei (186 family rentals), Kahului Emergency Housing (12 transitional housing units), Kahului Lani II (82 senior rentals), Kaiauli O Kupuohi in Lahaina (88 family rentals) and Wailuku Apartments (324 units, with 195 affordable)

Since its inception in 2006, the HHFDC has facilitated the development of 10,140 workforce/affordable units statewide and currently has a production plan to add 8,133 more units over the next four years.