Hawaii Begins Rebuilding 75-Year-Old Kalihi Public Housing Complex

The Hawaii Public Housing Authority and developer Highridge Costa broke ground Thursday on Phase 1A of the Mayor Wright Homes redevelopment in the Kalihi-Palama neighborhood near downtown Honolulu. The 15-acre site is bounded by King Street, Liliha Street and Vineyard Boulevard, and the existing complex dates to nearly 75 years old.

The first phase carries an estimated cost of $333 million. The state's 2017 estimate for the full project was $1.3 billion. Plans call for more than 2,400 rental homes, from studios to five-bedroom units, alongside public housing, condominiums for sale and commercial space. The completed development would hold seven times the number of homes now on the site and would be distributed across 10 towers.

Hakim Ouansafi, executive director of the housing authority, said the ceremony marked more than a construction milestone. "It's not simply about breaking ground. It is about breaking barriers," he said. He added that the state cannot address future housing problems by relying on past approaches, and said, "Public housing should never mean second class housing."

More than half of the units will be reserved for households earning under 80% of area median income. Later phases would extend to households at 100% of area median income, which the state puts at roughly $150,000 a year for a family of four. Current Mayor Wright residents displaced by construction are being relocated and will receive priority to return.

Gov. Josh Green said, "Housing provides health," noting that people with stable housing can focus on education, food security and health care. Moe Mohanna, president of Highridge Costa Development Company, said, "What we are building here is a legacy." Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi tied the project to the arrival of the Skyline rail line. The development is designed to sit within walking distance of the planned Iwilei rail station and includes four acres of parks and recreational space.

The housing authority expects the full redevelopment to take 15 years, with the first building scheduled to open in 2029.