Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 15, Number 11, 1 November 1998 — OHA and DHHL: Meeting a need for Hawaiʻi's kūpuna [ARTICLE]

OHA and DHHL: Meeting a need for Hawaiʻi's kūpuna

By Jayson Harper On Sept. 29, the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs approved S3 million for the development of an affordable rental project specifically for elderly Hawaiians. The 66 one-bedroom units will be constructed in partnership with the Department of Hawaiian Homelands (DHHL) on a seven-acre lot opposite Waimānalo Beach Park. Although there are many adult care homes in Hawai'i, most are out of the price range of kūpuna whose only ehoiee is often to move into the already cramped home of their adult children. OHA Chairperson A. Frenchy DeSoto praised the

Waimānalo project as a means for elderly Hawaiians to live independently in comfortable surroundings, without feeling they are crowding or otherwise burdening their families. "This low-ineome rental project for elderly Hawaiians uses HUD median ineome and Section 8 eligibility requirements and is the first project of its kind taken on by OHA," said Stephen Morse, OHA Housing Officer who explained that HUD Section 8 requires tenants' rent not exceed a reasonable percentage of their annual ineome. Unlike other elderly housing, often located in congested urban areas whieh confines most tenants to the building, this project will be developed in a rural residential environment. In addition to the residential

units, it will incorporate space whieh ean be leased commercially, generating ineome to be

reinvested back mto the project, possibly for additional services or subsidies for the kūpuna living there. A community center planneel withm the development would offer additional facilities to all Waimānalo residents, promoting interaction between them and the elderly tenants. Also included in the develop ment will be a pre-school to be administered by the Kamehameha Schools Ofthe 1 5,000 to 20,000 Hawaiians still on DHHL's waiting list, approximately 3,500, or 27. 1 percent, are at least 62 years old and ean be defined as elderly according to federal guidelines. Additionaily, an estimated 2,500 current lessees of Hawaiian Home Lands are considered elderly.

Another 2,700 are on the Hawaii Housing Authority's waiting list, hoping for affordable rentals. Waimānalo has about 300 elderly Hawaiian residents who need affordable housing and could qualify for a project like this. But while statistics confirm Hawai'i's elderly need housing, developers are reluctant to invest in such construction because it usually offers a low return in terms of profit. Rather than commercial profit, OHA and DHHL's partnership addresses the condition of the Native Hawaiians both agencies are mandated to serve. "We hope this project becomes a < model for future projects," said | Morse. ■ i

"Rather than commercial profit, OHA and DHHL partnership addresses the condition of the Native Hawaiians both agencies are mandated to serve."

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