Homeless kauhale villages in Hawaii supported at Legislature

May 1—The Legislature has backed expanding Gov. Josh Green’s “kauhale ” efforts to create permanent villages of tiny homes for homeless people across the islands, along with Hawaii’s first-ever effort to provide affordable rental units for teachers and other public school employees.

The Legislature has backed expanding Gov. Josh Green’s “kauhale ” efforts to create permanent villages of tiny homes for homeless people across the islands, along with Hawaii’s first-ever effort to provide affordable rental units for teachers and other public school employees.

At the same time, Green’s administration is moving rapidly to erect Hawaii’s first “medical respite kauhale ” within a few weeks near the state Department of Health off Punchbowl Street, directly across from The Queen’s Medical Center and in line of sight of Washington Place, the governor’s mansion.

The efforts follow Green’s January pledge in his State of the State address to do more to keep and attract public school teachers, reduce homelessness and create more affordable housing.

The $170 million approved by the Legislature to build or refurbish affordable rental housing for school employees—from custodians to administrators—follows last week’s ratification of a new four-year contract to provide public school teachers with pay raises of approximately $14.5 %.

The contract was ratified last week by an overwhelming 92 % of public school teachers.

“By raising starting salaries to $50, 000, we hope more of Hawaii’s young men and women will aspire to become teachers, ” Green said in a statement. “Higher salaries and bonuses for veteran teachers will also improve teacher retention and reduce teacher shortages. Good public education remains one of our top priorities.”

The concept to renovate or build new rental units for public school workers—the first of its kind in Hawaii—is intended to help teachers and their colleagues find more affordable one-, two-or three-bedroom units close to where they work.

Because the state will be the landlord—for teachers, in particular—“we want them to be able to save a little money so they stay for their entire 40-year career, ” said Keone Farias, executive director of the School Facilities Authority, which will oversee the projects.

Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke wants the school housing to include preschools, which would give parents child care where they live while expanding Hawaii’s preschool system.

The authority is working with the Hawaii State Teachers Association to develop a survey of the union’s 12, 000 members to determine, among other things, what kind of units they prefer.

Several concepts remain under consideration, including using state land, buying private land, purchasing properties, refurbishing existing structures and building new ones.

Senate Bill 941, which funded the $170 million, focused on the first educator housing around Nanakuli, Waipahu and Mililani high schools.

By the end of the year, Farias expects to put out requests for proposals to determine costs ahead of the 2024 legislative session, when the authority will seek input from lawmakers.

Along with the Legislature, Farias said, “We’re going to take guidance from the governor and lieutenant governor, and we’re going to run with it.”

Osa Tui Jr., HSTA president, said in a statement to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser :

“We are grateful that legislators are focusing on creating affordable housing for those who work in our public schools. We know that a broad variety of educators, from those early in their careers to the most senior teachers, have a hard time affording housing in the islands.

“Many of them have side jobs which means they can’t devote their full attention to their students and the preparation of lessons that they usually complete after school once their students have left for the day. Instead, they are rushing off to their second or even third jobs when they would much rather concentrate on teaching their students.”

In approving the $170 million project Friday, legislators applauded Luke for championing both affordable housing for school employees and expanding preschool education.

In a statement to the Star-Advertiser, Luke called the conference committee vote “a monumental step for providing affordable housing and childcare for our educators. This concept of integrating childcare with housing for educators will go a long way in not just attracting educators, but retaining them.”

The full House and Senate also will consider a conference committee proposal to provide $15 million in fiscal year 2024 and $33 million in fiscal year 2025 for more kauhale tiny-home villages across the islands.

Green has been pushing the kauhale idea since he was lieutenant governor, and it became reality with the opening of the first one in 2021 in Kalaeloa, called Kama ‘oku.

Kama ‘oku’s 37 120-square-foot tiny homes were built on 1.5 acres of decommissioned Naval Air Station Barbers Point land off Yorktown Street at a cost of $20, 000 per unit. It includes communal men’s and women’s showers and toilets, a communal kitchen and outdoor areas to encourage community.

The newest funding likely will lead to 20 or more new kauhale across the islands, each designed according to specific locations and needs, said James Koshiba, the state’s homeless coordinator.

His office has gotten interest from private landowners and nonprofit organizations and faith-based groups offering their land for a kauhale.

Several potential locations are being considered, but there are lots of challenges.

“They’re not all going to be viable, ” Koshiba said. “Some will have cost-prohibitive infrastructure needs or no access to infrastructure. There may be environmental health and cultural issues. … We’re hoping for at least a dozen viable sites over the course of the next couple of years “—six on Oahu and two each in neighbor island counties.

While the original kauhale came in at a cost of $20, 000 per unit, future prices also will depend on several factors, including the flatness of terrain and access to sewer lines, Koshiba said.

Some kauhale could be created out of vacant state offices or available commercial real estate, he said.

“We’re looking at every possible space available, ” Koshiba said. “Competition for space in Hawaii is fierce.”

But the general concept remains to house homeless people in communal settings surrounded by social service help to turn their lives around, including obtaining badly needed government IDs and financial benefits while paying low rent.

The goal is to help residents live better lives while providing a permanent place to live.

“Homeless service providers spend months getting people their vital documents, their IDs and an income source, and there’s still no place for them at the end, ” Koshiba said. “The goal is for every kauhale to be that partnership with the community, and we’ll bring to the table the missing piece (permanent housing ).”

Green’s vision for Hawaii’s first “medical respite kauhale ” is scheduled to be realized in weeks, tentatively inside a parking lot on the mauka side of the state Department of Health.

HomeAid Hawaii, a hui of builders and developers, provided materials, labor and expertise to build Hawaii’s first kauhale and is building the medical respite’s tiny homes, said its executive director, Kimo Carvalho.

The current cost is estimated at $15, 000 per unit.

The designs are different from the original kauhale but share the same one-room concept.

The medical respite kauhale is intended for homeless patients with no place to go after they’re discharged from a hospital such as Queen’s across Punchbowl Street.

There will be eight to 10 tiny homes, another for on-site nurses and another for round-the-clock security, said Nani Medeiros, who oversaw construction of the original kauhale as Carvalho’s predecessor at Home ­Aid Hawaii and is now the state’s chief housing officer.

Showers and hygiene for the medical respite kauhale will be provided by the Project Vision shower-bathroom trailer, she said.

In a follow-up statement to the Star-Advertiser, Carvalho said, “While structures and spaces are critical components to a homeless individual’s healing process, it cannot be done in isolation of its neighbors, community, and an environment that captures the aloha spirit. This is the essence of Kauhale Villages, and a critical diversion strategy for medically frail homeless still in need of healthcare supports after being discharged from any medical center. HomeAid Hawaii and its partners standby ready and willing to support the Governor’s Administration, counties, and our homeless providers in developing the needed affordable housing and Kauhale Villages for our most destitute community members.”