The Hawaʻi Public Housing Authority has partnered with Highridge Costa to develop more than 10,000 new units of affordable housing statewide, including 250 on the Lanakila IV site. And it hopes to have all the issues regarding contamination resolved quickly.
Hakim Ouansafi, executive director of HPHA, provided this statement to Environment Hawaiʻi about the delays, noting that his agency had submitted a long-term environmental hazard management plan to the Department of Health and is awaiting its acceptance. Once the plan is accepted and the DOH issues a “No Further Action” letter, work can begin.
HPHA hopes to have entitlements in place by the end of the year, including utility and water commitments and the NFA letter. When asked why this deadline was so critical, Moe Mohanna, president of Highridge Costa, said that the Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC) “accepts applications [for financing] only once per year in February, and evidence of approval for project entitlements (zoning approval/ compliance or 201H approval) are a basic threshold requirement for an applicant to be considered for a financing allocation.”
Asked why the site had been allowed to remain undeveloped for so long, Ouansafi stated that HPHA was still in the early stages of redevelopment plans. “In March, we met with Mayor [Mitch] Roth’s cabinet to discuss the project and we look forward to sharing our plans with the community. In the fall, we will launch a project website with more details and host a public town hall meeting to discuss the project, answer questions, and gather feedback.”
— Patricia Tummons
Leave a Reply