Governor David Ige participated in ceremonies on Tuesday for the Kahului Lani senior affordable project in Kahului and the ground blessing for the affordable Kaiāulu o Kūku’ia complex in Lahaina.
According to a press release from the governor's office, Ige was joined by nonprofit affordable housing developer Catholic Charities Hawaii in Kahului for the dedication ceremony. This ceremony commemorated the Kahului Lani, a 165-unit, senior affordable housing complex, where the 83 one-bedroom units that were recently finished in Phase II are being rented to seniors 55 and older who earn no more than 60% of the area’s median income.
“We’ve developed partnerships across all levels of government and with the private and nonprofit sectors, and this comprehensive approach is making a real difference here on Maui and across the state,” Ige said in the release. “Residents now have more affordable housing opportunities.”
According to the release, the units must stay affordable for a 65 years minimum.
“Under HUD 2022 guidelines for Maui, rents at Kahului Lani II would run from $642 to $1,284 a month depending on a household’s income,” state officials said. “The units must remain affordable for a minimum of 61 years.”
The state allocated $17.2 million for the project in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program tax credits, $14.25 million in loans from the Rental Housing Revolving Fund that are low interest and $2 million from the Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund to go toward road improvements, according to the release.
The land is owned by the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC). HHFDC's mission is to increase and preserve the affordable housing supply in the state by offering financing and development resources to the community for housing development.