GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @STARADVERTISER.COM City Homeless Coordinator Sam Moku, left, and Connie Mitchell, executive director of the Institute for Human Services, toured the grounds of the Alana Ola Pono kauhale in Iwilei on Monday on the day of its opening and dedication.
1 /4 GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @STARADVERTISER.COM City Homeless Coordinator Sam Moku, left, and Connie Mitchell, executive director of the Institute for Human Services, toured the grounds of the Alana Ola Pono kauhale in Iwilei on Monday on the day of his opening and dedication.
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @STARADVERTISER.COM A look inside one of the 43 units.
2 /4 GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @STARADVERTISER.COM A look inside one of the 43 units.
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @STARADVERTISER.COM Kahu Kordell Kekoa, right, led the blessing during Monday’s opening and dedication ceremonies at the Alana Ola Pono kauhale in Iwilei. Also in attendance were Ryan Yamane, left, Connie Mitchell, Kimo Carvalho and Gov. Josh Green.
3 /4 GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @STARADVERTISER.COM Kahu Kordell Kekoa, right, led the blessing during Monday’s opening and dedication ceremonies at the Alana Ola Pono kauhale in Iwilei. Also in attendance were Ryan Yamane, left, Connie Mitchell, Kimo Carvalho and Gov. Josh Green.
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @STARADVERTISER.COM Connie Mitchell, executive director of the Institute for Human Services, showed the community kitchen to Sam Moku, the city’s homeless coordinator.
4 /4 GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @STARADVERTISER.COM Executive Director of the Institute for Human Services Connie Mitchell showed the community kitchen to Sam Moku, the city’s homeless coordinator.
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @STARADVERTISER.COM City Homeless Coordinator Sam Moku, left, and Connie Mitchell, executive director of the Institute for Human Services, toured the grounds of the Alana Ola Pono kauhale in Iwilei on Monday on the day of its opening and dedication.
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @STARADVERTISER.COM A look inside one of the 43 units.
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @STARADVERTISER.COM Kahu Kordell Kekoa, right, led the blessing during Monday’s opening and dedication ceremonies at the Alana Ola Pono kauhale in Iwilei. Also in attendance were Ryan Yamane, left, Connie Mitchell, Kimo Carvalho and Gov. Josh Green.
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @STARADVERTISER.COM Connie Mitchell, executive director of the Institute for Human Services, showed the community kitchen to Sam Moku, the city’s homeless coordinator.
RELATED PHOTO GALLERY The newest tiny home village to reduce homelessness – with 43 units designed to house single adults, couples and their pets – was unveiled and blessed in Iwilei on Monday.
The kauhale initiative offers more than housing, and Governor Josh Green – a physician – wants kauhale communities to bring stability to residents’ lives, along with social services, safety, health care, laundry services and communal showers, kitchens and toilets. bathrooms.
The newest kauhale, located where North Beretania Street turns into North King Street, is called Alana Ola Pono: Awakening to a Good Life and represents Hawaii’s 17th since the first opened in Kalaeloa, while then-Lt. Gov. Green pushed for a concept that was new to the state.
There are now beds spread across the islands for 760 residents who previously lacked permanent, stable housing.
On Maui, another 50 families are expected to move into Ka La ‘i Ola kauhale next week. They will join the 78 families already living there.
The kauhale were built by HomeAid Hawai’i, a nonprofit organization of Hawaiian builders who donate materials, labor and expertise to keep costs down, translating into lower rents after an initial grace period.
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Rents in Kauhale vary depending on each kauhale, but workers, kupuna on fixed incomes and homeless people who qualify for federal financial benefits can afford them, says HomeAid Director Kimo Carvalho.
Case managers help homeless people apply for financial benefits they may not receive or don’t even know they qualify for.
The newest kauhale is located along Oahu’s original railroad, which connected loads of sugar from the plantations to the port for shipping beginning in the late 1800s.
It will be located along Honolulu’s Skyline rail system, where the so-called transit-oriented development includes plans for permanent worker housing and quick access to downtown Honolulu and western Oahu.
“It’s a bit historic and we will preserve the historical aspects,” Carvalho said. “We develop based on common sense, without endangering health and safety.”
The first residents are expected to move in over the holidays, and Carvalho met three of them during Monday’s blessing. They are young adults who want to work and simply need affordable housing to get their lives on track.
Other residents could be kupuna on fixed incomes who desperately need security for their belongings and themselves, Carvalho said.
On the streets, homeless people have repeatedly reported having their belongings stolen, including the critical identification they need for jobs, housing and driving.
Carvalho said the future residents of Alana Ola Pono told him Monday, “If I have a small house, I can put my stuff inside and lock the door.” It eases their anxiety.
“We do this at Christmas,” Carvalho said. “It’s a Christmas gift from HomeAid Hawai’i and the Governor.”
Many homeless people in Hawaii will not move from the streets to a homeless shelter because it means abandoning their pets. So by allowing pets to live with them in Alana Ola Pono’s 1,100-square-foot homes, Green’s office said “no one has to choose between housing and their beloved companions.”
The kauhale will be run by the Institute for Human Services. It was built by HomeAid and included two additional small houses for security and fifteen communal structures for kitchen modules, collection centres, showers, toilets, laundry services, storage and an administrative building.
The project would normally cost $8 million, but donations and reduced costs from the 16 builders involved in Alana Ola Pono brought the actual cost down to $6.1 million, Carvalho said.
Each tiny house cost $19,000 to build.
Green said in a press release: “This initiative reflects a strong partnership between the Institute for Human Services (IHS), Home Aid Hawai’i and the broader community. This kauhale is a testament to the power of shared commitment to creating a better future for all Hawaii residents and collectively addressing one of the greatest challenges we face as a community.
