DHHL TO CONDUCT BENEFICIARY WORKSHOPS FOR FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND AFFORDABLE RENTAL PROJECT ON KAUA‘I

News Release from DHHL, November 14, 2025

HONOLULU — The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) is set to host beneficiary workshops on Saturday, November 15, 2025. These sessions will provide valuable information regarding an upcoming affordable housing initiative on the Garden Isle.

Located on a nearly six-acre parcel in Kapa‘a, the Courtyards of Waipouli represents the department’s first apartment acquisition aimed at beneficiaries interested in a rent-with-option-to-purchase program. This complex features 82 beneficiary units distributed across 10 two-story buildings. The units range in size from one- to three-bedrooms.

“The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is moving forward with this mission-driven approach to affordable housing because we can no longer bypass individuals who do not have the means to secure a conventional turnkey home,” said DHHL Director Kali Watson. “This rent-with-option-to-purchase project is critical for individuals and families who need an alternative route to homeownership.”

By design, the program allows participants to move into a renovated apartment at an affordable rent, while providing the opportunity to build credit and personal savings. After approximately 11 years of renting the unit, participants may then choose to exercise a purchase option to buy the apartment.

All program participants will receive a homestead lease from day one and have the chance to name a successor.

To be eligible for the program prospective renters must meet the following criteria:

• DHHL beneficiary on the Kaua‘i residential waitlist
• At least 50% native Hawaiian blood quantum or qualified successor
• Meet income restrictions for your assigned unit (30% to 120% area median income)

A portion of the available units will be reserved for individuals and families eligible under the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA). NAHASDA, managed through DHHL, provides financial assistance to those whose total household income is at or below 80% of the established area median income levels for their respective counties.

Two informational sessions will be held for those interested: the first at 9:30 a.m. and the second at 1:30 p.m. Both sessions will be held in the Makai Ballroom of the Sheraton Coconut Beach Resort Hotel.

All DHHL beneficiaries on the Kaua‘i islandwide residential waitlist are encouraged to attend.

The Hawaiian Homes Commission approved the acquisition of the Courtyards of Waipouli in January 2024 and finalized the project’s purchase in September 2024, allocating $25 million in NAHASDA funding.

For more information on the rent-with-option-to-purchase program at the Courtyards of Waipouli and other DHHL offers and awards, visit dhhl.hawaii.gov/awards.

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BACKGROUND: Fake Affordability: DHHL to Evict 57 Households from their affordable condos on Kauai—Suggests They Move to Mainland