ANAHOLA — Permanently Affordable Living Hawai‘i staff members Taylor Lani, Crystal Caday-Bargayo and Ka‘iulani Kauahi had mu‘umu‘u worn on Wednesday, not only because PAL Hawai‘i was being visited by Gladys Quinto Marrone, the executive director for Nareit Foundation, but because January is Mu‘umu‘u Appreciation Month.
“They’re all wearing ‘em,” said Larry Graff, the PAL Hawai‘i executive director. “I don’t have one. I’m not wearing one.”
PAL Hawai‘i — newly rebranded in January to reflect how its services are being provided outside of Kaua‘i — received a $75,000 grant from the Nareit Foundation, which was presented by Marrone. The Kauhale O Kekaha affordable living community in Kekaha is a benefactor of the grant.
The grant will be used to replace an aging 53-year-0ld roof and install rooftop solar panels that will help lower utility costs for the kauhale’s residents, and also reduce the impact of the building’s energy usage on Kaua‘i’s environment.
“We acquired this Kauhale O Kekaha property two years ago and have been steadily working to rehabilitate the structure inside and out to give the residents a greater sense of confidence and purpose in their daily lives, and to be proud, contributing members of Kaua‘i,” Graff said.
“This Nareit Foundation grant is helping us fulfill an important objective to ensure the kauhale’s residents have a strong and stable roof over their heads for many years to come.”
Marrone said the Nareit Foundation’s focus is to support nonprofits dedicated to providing Hawai‘i residents with affordable housing and PAL Hawai‘i epitomizes how this is being accomplished.
“The strength of every community statewide starts with the satisfaction of families and individuals having a place to call home, and being able to rise up and meet the challenges and opportunities that life presents us,” Marrone said.
“PAL Hawai‘i is doing an incredibler job with its efforts to provide those in need with affordable homes and we are honored to support their mission with this grant to help the residents of Kauhale O Kekaha.”
Based in Anahola at Anahola Marketplace, PAL Hawai‘i, founded in 2018 through the generosity of Jim Edmonds, provides services statewide and is working to change the paradigm from affordable housing to affordable living, and to prevent the displacement of Native Hawaiians and multi-generational families.
Its mission is to establish a foundation of hope by providing affordable homes and services for the people of Hawai‘i.
PAL Hawai‘i serves houseless and extremely low- to middle-income workforce households by offering permanently affordable living pathways through rental housing, fee simple homeownership and leasehold homeownership through it Ho‘omaluhia Community Land Trust.
For more information, visit its website at www.pal-hawaii.org.
•••
Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 808-245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
