The Intriguing History That Underlies A Kona Affordable Housing Development
How did a newly minted company get the County of Hawai‘i to purchase 13 acres of land for it? With only $1,000 in out-of-pocket expenses the company was able to acquire land valued by the county at $948,200. It later … Continued
EDITORIAL: Big Island’s Housing Policy: Troubled, Confusing, Ineffective
Hawai‘i County’s affordable housing policy is a disaster. Other counties have their problems as well when it comes to addressing the shelter needs of households who are priced out of market-rate rentals. But on the Big Island, the insanely complicated … Continued
Housing Agency Has Had Difficulty Tracking Low-Cost Housing Credits
Above photo: Office of Housing and Community Development administrator Suzan Kunz. Hawai‘i County, like every other county in the state, struggles with the problem of affordable housing. Unlike the others, though, it has a law – Chapter 11 of the … Continued
Fatal Building Collapse in South Dakota Laid to LLC Owned by Honua‘ula Officer
On the chilly but clear day of December 2, 2016, around 10:30 in the morning, the building housing the old Copper Lounge in downtown Sioux Falls, South Dakota, collapsed. A contractor working on the first floor had removed two load-bearing … Continued
He Owned the Land for Just a Day, But Received 212 Credits from County
In January of 2015, barely a month after Luna Loa Developments, LLC, was formed, its sole member of record, Rajesh Budhabhatti, signed onto an affordable housing agreement with the County of Hawai‘i. Terms of the agreement called for Luna Loa … Continued
Bogus People, Bogus Projects
Photos of grannies making cookies with the kiddos, a grandfather and grandson hand in hand, kicking through fall leaves, and a grandmother reading to a loving child on her lap. These are among the scenes that, the Tenderlycare.org website would … Continued
Owner of Kona Land Had History Of Controversial Development
Above photo: Ronald Brown When Ronald A. Brown proposed to build 20 affordable rental units on 13 acres of land off Kealaka‘a Street, in Kona, Chris Yuen, then the Hawai‘i County planning director, was willing to let bygones be bygones. … Continued
New & Noteworthy: Aina Le‘a, Rat Lungworm, Hu Honua
‘Aina Le‘a Suit Dismissed: The state has prevailed in the efforts of DW ‘Aina Le‘a, LLC, to claim $200 million in damages as a result of the Land Use Commission’s reversion of land it once owned from the Urban land use … Continued
Board Talk: Board Pre-Approves Fines to Spur Critical Fixes to Wahiawa Reservoir
“We’re already pushing our luck with a hundred-year-old dam,” said Aimee Barnes last month. Barnes was the sole member of the state Board of Land and Natural Resources to vote against a recommendation by the Department of Land and Natural … Continued