HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0348.024 2020-2022 un I
COMM
%'119-11
16-105'0pukaha'ia St.
NEICHBORHOOD PLACE OF PUNA
Kea'au.HI 96719
To Nuture.Strengthen,and Celebrate dhana
ph:(808)965-5550
www.neigh borhoodplace.org fx:(808)965-5109
9/7/2021
Aloha Hawai'i County Council Members
Please pass resolution 179-21 without amendments for the Honua'ula Affordable Housing Project in Kailua Kona.
Honua'ula will provide 112 affordable units at 60%or below Area Median Income.There has been no project of this
kind on Big Island with such high ratios for affordability.The project is also slated to remain affordable longer than
past projects,and will be the first of its kind with 4-bedroom units suitable for larger families.Supporting this
project will create a ripple effect housing families in need and showing our community more affordable housing
innovation is possible.
According to the 2019 Hawaii Housing Plan Study(pp 36-40), Hawaii County will need an additional 13,303 housing
units by 2025 to meet local housing demand.We are nowhere near this goal as of now and need to do all we can to
support projects like Honua'ula and address our local housing needs.
On Big Island,30%of homeless individuals are children in families(source:HMIS by-name data).This high rate of
child and family homelessness is especially unacceptable.This data reveals how poverty and instability
disproportionately hurts working class families on Big Island. By supporting Honua'ula and developments like it we
are helping to get these families off the street and are helping to disrupt generational poverty and instability. No
child should ever be left homeless,and early intervention can help stop generational cycles of homelessness.
As a family service agency on the Big Island,we embrace the kuleana to help end child and family homelessness,
and hope that our island leadership will do the same by supporting affordable housing projects like Honua'ula.
Please pass Resolution 172-21 without amendments and support local affordable housing for families.
Kaikea Kaleikini Blakemore
Neighborhood Place of Puna-Community Development Specialist
Vibrant Hawaii Housing Coalition-Co-Chair
Community Alliance Partners-Awareness Chair
Comm. No.
Ref. To: YJ
Ref. tate 2021