LIHU‘E — The state Board of Land and Natural Resources approved an executive order from Gov. Linda Lingle turning over a parcel of state land on Wehe Road in Lihu‘e to the county recently, paving the way for new housing for the homeless.
Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste, in a meeting with the media yesterday, announced that the land would be leased to leaders at Kauai Economic Opportunity to provide emergency and transitional homeless housing.
The shelters, on the site of the old Lihu‘e School, would be run by KEO, with the county providing “more of an operator” position, the mayor said.
But before the homeless and transitional housing facilities can become a reality, the County Council must first approve a lease of the land to KEO, and KEO officials must apply for a use permit with the county Planning Commission, the mayor said in a press release handed out at the mayor’s weekly “media chat.”
According to MaBel Ferreiro-Fujiuchi, KEO executive director, there is no specific timetable for when people will be able to move in.
“The approval of the executive order is a milestone in our efforts to reduce homelessness on Kaua‘i,” said Baptiste in a statement. “We are thrilled to be making progress on this issue that is of great importance to our community.”
Ferreiro-Fujiuchi said she and the mayor testified last Friday in front of the land board on O‘ahu.
If all goes according to plan, the land will house an emergency shelter, which will be able to accommodate up to 19 people per night, with stays no longer than six months, but probably no longer than 60 days, Ferreiro-Fujiuchi said. Eight units of transitional housing are also being developed for the site, which requires residents to get involved in a 24-month-long program that provides a wide range of training depending on a household’s needs, she added.
County officials are looking to get the shelter started by donating three portable buildings, pending approval from the County Council. The portables, some recently vacated by members of the office of the county prosecuting attorney and some currently occupied by the county Housing Agency, would be remodeled and customized to fit their new purpose, the mayor said. Funding for the shelters has also been earmarked through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and home funds provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, he continued. KEO already is a tenant on part of the land. The segment expected to be transferred to KEO in the form of a long-term lease was used by the state Department of Accounting and General Services as a storage facility before DAGS staff moved into a new location in the Puhi Industrial Park.
“This project has been a goal of KEO’s for years, and KEO officials look forward to elevating the process with these new resources,” Baptiste said. The mayor added that county officials continue to keep tabs on those staying in beach parks, and they do ask those to leave if they do not have camping permits, he said.
Tom Finnegan, staff writer, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or tfinnegan@pulitzer.net.
