Hawaii Housing Authority Launches $333 Million Kalihi Redevelopment

Hawaii officials broke ground on the first phase of the Mayor Wright Homes redevelopment on Thursday, marking the start of the state's largest public housing project. The 15-acre site is located in the Kalihi-Palama neighborhood, bounded by King Street, Liliha Street, and Vineyard Boulevard.

The Hawai'i Public Housing Authority and developer Highridge Costa are replacing a complex that has stood for nearly 75 years. The new development is planned to contain seven times as many homes as the current site. It will serve a mixed-income population rather than exclusively very low-income residents.

Designs for the full project include more than 2,400 new rental homes ranging from studios to five-bedroom units. The development will also feature condominiums for sale, commercial space, and public housing units. These elements will be distributed across 10 towers.

More than half of the units are reserved for tenants earning less than 80% of the area median income. Later phases will extend eligibility to households earning up to 100% of the area median income, a figure that equates to approximately $150,000 per year for a family of four. Current residents displaced by construction are being relocated and will hold priority to return to the new buildings.

Hakim Ouansafi, executive director of the housing authority, stated that the project aims to move beyond traditional approaches to housing. He noted that public housing should not be considered second-class housing. Governor Josh Green described the initiative as central to the state's housing strategy, emphasizing that stable housing supports education, food security, and health care.

The housing authority estimates the cost of Phase 1A at $333 million. A state estimate from 2017 placed the total cost of the entire project at $1.3 billion. The development includes four acres of public parks and recreational space and is situated within walking distance of the planned Iwilei rail station.

The first building is scheduled to open in 2029. The full redevelopment is expected to take 15 years to complete. Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi linked the project to the arrival of the Skyline rail line, describing the combination as historic for affordable housing.