1506 Pi‘ikoi Street in Makiki

Mayor unveils newly constructed apartments for households experiencing homelessness

News Release from City and County of Honolulu, April 24, 2017

Makiki – Mayor Kirk Caldwell and City Council member Kymberly Pine unveiled 42 newly constructed apartments today at the corner of Pi‘ikoi and Hassinger streets that have been set aside for households experiencing homelessness.

The city acquired the Pi‘ikoi Street property in November 2015 for $6 million, and completed the $6.4 million renovation in less than a year-and-a-half. The 20,000 square-foot parcel is located at 1506 Pi‘ikoi Street and includes two refurbished buildings; a three-story walk-up and a two-story walk-up. The property has four (4) three-bedroom units, three (3) two-bedroom units, 24 one-bedroom units, and 11 studios. There are also four (4) ADA-compliant units of each type located on the ground floors. One of the one-bedroom units will be occupied by a resident manager who will live on the property 24/7 and supervise tenants. A laundry room, parking lot and landscaped play area were also incorporated into the design.

“This is about providing housing for those that don’t have a home,” said Mayor Caldwell. “With this latest project the city continues to demonstrate its commitment to providing affordable housing, which is the single best solution to ending homelessness.”

The city formed a Community Advisory Committee at the request of City Council to conduct meetings and welcome the new tenants into the neighborhood. Priority will be given to families with children under 18 years of age and a household member who is employed. The maximum income for applicants is 50 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI), with rents ranging from $880 to $1,306 per month, depending on the layout of the apartment.

“The city and community stakeholders are now working together to build places of hope for our local families to live, so that residents can get off the street and transition into stable housing,” said Councilmember Pine. “I would like to express a warm mahalo to Mayor Kirk Caldwell, Department of Land Management Director-designate Sandy Pfund, and the administration for putting this worthwhile project together.” 

Property manager and service provider Housing Solutions, Inc. (HSI) has begun reviewing applications for prospective residents. HSI emailed the application and tenant requirements to all O‘ahu homeless service providers last week and will be doing so again throughout the application process. An applicant must have certification from a service provider showing they are experiencing homelessness. Potential residents may email HSI General Manager Shanelle Lum directly at shanelle@hsiservices.net. HSI has 30 years of experience in property management, real estate development and homeless services, and already manages a similar 24-unit city building at 1727 South Beretania Street.

The Pi‘ikoi Street project was designed by Group 70 International, Inc. and the construction contract was awarded to Ralph S. Inouye Company, Ltd, with SSFM International providing construction management.

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SA: City blesses apartment project for the homeless