ELEELE — A small group of dignitaries participated in the blessing of the Lima Ola Supportive Housing Project in Eleele on Friday.
The group included Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami, the County Council, the Housing Agency, Hawaii Housing Finance Development Corporation (HHFDC) Board Chair Gary Mackler, who represented Gov. Josh Green, and representatives from the offices of Sens. Brian Schatz, Mazie Hirono and Rep. Jill Tokuda.
“Whenever we gather at this Eleele site, I cannot help but reflect on the years of planning, hard work, and community partnerships that are now coming to fruition. I think about our late Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste who launched the vision of Lima Ola while feeling grateful to former Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. and his administration for laying the groundwork,” said Kawakami in a news release.
“As we bless the land and housing at this location we also cannot forget the generous support of our community partners Alexander and Baldwin. And then, there are times like today where we can see what these past four years have become since our first groundbreaking for infrastructure, and my heart is filled with appreciation. Mahalo and congratulations to this amazing team, past and present, for crossing another finish line together as new housing continues to be more critical than ever.”
The Lima Ola Supportive Housing Project started construction in May 2023 with plans to model the county’s existing Kealaula Supportive Housing Project located on Pua Loke Street in Lihue. The supportive housing model is intended to provide low-cost rental housing to Kauai residents experiencing homelessness or who are at imminent risk of becoming homelessness.
Under this model, tenants receive on-site social services to assist them in getting back on their feet and prepare them to move to more permanent housing. While tenancy in supportive housing is not intended to be permanent, it also is not strictly time limited as are traditional transitional housing models.
“The Lima Ola Permanently Supportive Housing Project is a valuable addition to the county’s low-cost housing inventory, but we must do more and the Kauai County Council stands ready to assist with future efforts to support our community’s most vulnerable,” said County Council Vice Chair Kipukai Kualii. “Through the building of these and other homes, it is clear, together we are helping change lives.”
The Lima Ola Supportive Housing Project consists of 32 units, studio and one-bedroom, with square footage ranging from 240 to 400 square feet. It also includes a community building with offices, a reception area and laundry facilities.
“We have seen how the supportive housing model has been a huge success in Lihue and that is encouraging as we complete this project and embark on accepting applications for housing tenants here at Lima Ola,” said Housing Director Adam Roversi.
“We extend our gratitude to HHFDC, Shioi Construction, our Housing Agency staff, state and county partners, and especially our West side community for sharing in this continued commitment to create more affordable housing opportunities for our Kauai residents.”
Shioi Construction was the project’s county contractor of the $5.86 million project. A combination of American Rescue Plan Act, and state and local Recovery Funds, Home-American Rescue Plan funds, and county Housing Development funds were used for the design and build of this project.
“Providing housing is not just abo0ut creating a place for people to live. It’s about giving our people hope. Hope that they can come out of hard ties and have a safe place to start over, to thrive, and to call home,” said Green in a message.
“My sincere appreciation goes out to all of our state and Kauai community partners for their dedication to bring more housing to the island and help those who are ready to start a new chapter for themselves and their families.”
