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Window to apply for senior housing is Aug. 1-15

Units may be ready in January at Pukalani’s Hale Mahaolu Ewalu

By Melissa Tanji 5 min read

Beginning Aug. 1, senior citizens may apply for the first phase of the Hale Mahaolu Ewalu senior housing project in Pukalani, the latest affordable rental project for seniors in Upcountry, Hale Mahaolu said Thursday.

The $20 million first phase of the project contains 39 mostly one-bedroom units in the Kulamalu Town Center near the Longs Drugs. It is scheduled to be completed at the end of the year, with occupants able to move in in January, said Grant Chun, executive director of Hale Mahaolu.

"We anticipate there will be a lot of interest," Chun said Thursday. "We received calls through the course of construction, people see it coming up. Clearly, there is a lot of interest, a lot of curiosity as far as potentially being able to live there."

The project will offer rental assistance to qualified low-income families and individuals whose head of household is 62 years or older. There are maximum income qualifications: An individual cannot make more than $33,050 to qualify; the maximum income for two people is $37,800.

Chun said the Project-Based Voucher Program, which is being administered by the county Housing Choice Voucher Program office, will help seniors pay for their rents. This will result in tenants only paying 30 percent of their monthly income for housing.

Applications for Hale Mahaolu Ewalu will be available only at the county Housing Choice Voucher Program office from Aug. 1 to 15. The deadline to turn in applications is 4:30 p.m. Aug. 15. The office is at 35 Lunalilo St., Suite 400 in Wailuku.

Applications must be picked up in person and turned in in person. In "instances of reasonable accommodation," applications may be requested by phone at 270-1748.

A lottery will be held to select applications. When a person picks up an application or turns it in will have no bearing on the selection for a unit, according to a legal notice.

Applications that pass screening at the county office will be referred to Hale Mahaolu for additional eligibility screening, Chun said.

He explained that potential residents need to be reviewed under other eligibility criteria because Hale Mahaolu used federal low-income housing tax credits to finance the construction. Potential residents need to meet additional federal guidelines that also include criminal background and credit checks.

Funding for the project has come through public-private partnerships with nine different federal, state, county and nonprofit sources. This includes grants, tax credits and government housing funds.

There are 39 units in the first phase with one unit for an on-site manager. The development includes 36 one-bedroom, one-bathroom units and two two-bedroom, one-bathroom units.

Phase 1 involves one two-story building and a three-story building at a lower elevation. One building has its roof up and is in the drywall phase with interior work starting. The other building's roof is being completed, Chun said.

Phase 1 also includes a senior center, but it will not be ready until the later part of 2019, he said.

Funding for the 61-unit Phase 2 has been secured, although specific costs have not been determined because the phase has not gone out to bid, Chun said.

Hale Mahaolu Ewalu is one of the larger projects Chun has managed since taking the helm of Hale Mahaolu six months ago from longtime executive director Roy Katsuda, who retired. Hale Mahaolu is a nonprofit housing corporation that develops, owns and manages low- and moderate-income housing units for families, seniors and those with disabilities.

"It's been a whirlwind," Chun said. "It's been a lot to learn. It's been really fulfilling and enjoyable for me."

Chun, who previously was vice president of Alexander & Baldwin Properties, said Hale Mahaolu's main focus now is the Ewalu project but said the nonprofit organization has other plans for projects and management opportunities.

Asked if Hale Mahaolu will have more projects such as Ewalu, Chun said there is a need. "Judging by our wait list, clearly there is demand for this kind of senior rental affordable rental housing."

All of Hale Mahaolu's properties have a waitlist. Some on the list may get into a unit between 18 to 24 months, but others may wait as long as six years.

This is the case at the 40-unit Hale Mahaolu Eha on Makawao Avenue. "That's probably one of the more popular properties" with potential tenants having to wait up to six years for a unit, he said.

Hale Mahaolu will have to look at renovating and rehabilitating its existing properties, especially the ones in Kahului where units were built 50 years ago, Chun said.

A partnership with Catholic Charities Hawaii also may be in the offing, he said. Hale Mahaolu is in discussions with Catholic Charities on possibly managing its Kahului Lani 165-unit senior affordable rental project near Kahului Public Library.

Catholic Charities closed the purchase on the 3.9 acres for the $47.8 million project from Alexander & Baldwin late last month. The first phase of 82 units is targeted for completion in 2020.

Besides adding to the housing inventory, Hale Mahaolu is working to maximize its outreach efforts, such as meals and personal care programs for clients and others on the island, Chun said. Hale Mahaolu also offers a counseling group that helps people become credit-ready for a lease or mortgage.

* Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.

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