HALE MAKANA O NANAKULI
In response to overcrowded households, severely dilapidated houses, and the lack of affordable housing opportunities in their community, the Nanakuli Hawaiian Homestead Community Association forged a working relationship with the nonprofit Hawaiian Community Development Board and California company Urban Housing Communities to develop a $14.6 million 48-unit affordable rental housing project in Nanakuli. Construction was completed December 2013.
The Hale Makana O Nanakuli project is providing safe, secure transitional and long-term rental housing designed to meet the needs of the Nanakuli community, with focus on Nanakuli's low-income Hawaiian families who earn 40% and 30% below the adjusted median income. It is providing immediate relief to many Nanakuli families with too many members living in the same household, to families living in dangerous dilapidated houses, or families who have been forced to abandon their homes.
Hale Makana was designed to help the Nanakuli homestead community by providing alternate housing, but within a major "Village Center" that also includes multi-purpose learning, community health, and commercial retail centers. It also serves as a pilot project as to how DHHL Homestead Associations can empower themselves to build similar affordable rental housing projects within their communities using established design, funding and construction approaches independent of the Department.
Project Partners
Hawaiian Community Assets and University of Hawaii - West Oahu have provided financial counseling primarily focusing on Nanakuli homestead residents and related members. This has helped families prepare and meet the qualifying criteria and complete rental applications. While open to the public, this additional help has resulted in approximately 75% of the tenants being from the Nanakuli Homesteading community and most of the other tenants being Hawaiian or married to Hawaiians.
Families that become residents of Hale Makana who are on or can qualify for the Hawaiian Home Lands homesteading program will receive financial counseling from Hawaiian Community Assets with the goal of being able to qualify for a mortgage and accept a residential lease on Hawaiian Home Lands.
Project Funding
HCDB obtained USDA Rural Development Federal rental assistance vouchers plus utility allowances for all the units which allows families in the 40% and below Area Median Income to pay no more than 30% of their adjusted income with the balance of the market rent covered by the federal government. Cost of construction was funded by State and Federal low-income housing tax credits, a Hula Mae bond and a loan from the State's Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation along with Federal funding (RD 521 and HUD HOME) in the form of long term, low cost loans. Alden Torch (Hunt Capital) provided the equity capital from the sale of the federal and state tax credits.
In partnership with University of Hawaii - West Oahu, NHHCA was awarded a $682,589 HUD grant which was used to pay for the cost of constructing and equipping the Hale Makana's Resource Center.
This badly-needed rental housing project is one component of the "Nanakuli Village Center" development project intended to significantly improve the Nanakuli homestead community. It's location within the homesteading community clearly facilitates easy access to cultural, educational, social, health, and economic opportunities. It also facilitates surrounding family/community integration. At the end of the 15-year tax compliance period, it will be owned and operated by the Nanakuli Hawaiian Homestead Community Association, a step towards self-governance, economic independence and management of its own community resources.
More information
To check on unit availability or status on waiting list, please contact Annie Au Hoon at (808) 620-9037 or halemakana2014@gmail.com.
