Hawaii
New affordable housing project slated for Waikoloa Village – West Hawaii Today
A groundbreaking ceremony was held Tuesday for Na Hale Makoa, a new affordable workforce rental housing development in Waikoloa Village.
Na Hale Makoa will feature 139 one-, two- and three-bedroom units serving households earning up to 140% of area median income, as well as one resident manager’s unit.
Construction is expected to take a little over a year, and families are anticipated to begin moving into the units during the first quarter of 2026, according to the county.
Applications will be accepted starting around September 2025.
“Today marks a pivotal step forward in our commitment to addressing the affordable housing needs of our community.,” said Mayor Mitch Roth. “Na Hale Makoa represents more than just new buildings. It symbolizes our dedication to ensuring that working families have access to safe, affordable and high-quality housing,”
The nonprofit Pacific Housing Assistance Corp. was selected by the county’s Office of Housing and Community Development following a request for proposals in 2020 to develop the rental housing within the county’s existing Kamakoa Nui subdivision on the northern end of Waikoloa Village.
“We have been diligently working with our development team and our state, county and private financing partners on the Na Hale Makoa project since 2020,” said Audrey Awaya, executive director of Pacific Housing Assistance Corp. “We appreciate their support and look forward to starting construction on this much-needed workforce housing development to help our working families in West Hawaii.”
The county is leasing the approximately 10-acre site for 68 years to Kamakoa Nui Limited Partnership, the ownership entity.
Furnishings include in-unit washer/dryer, range, refrigerator, vinyl plank flooring, window coverings and ceiling fans. Each unit also features a private lanai and storage closet.
The pet-friendly community also includes a recreation center with a kitchen for meetings/gatherings, a resource and technology center with high-speed internet access, a management office, and a keiki playground. Picnic areas and walking/biking paths are provided throughout Na Hale Makoa.
Funding for the $84.5 million project comes from various state and county programs. National Equity Fund, one of the largest nonprofit tax credit syndicators, is the project owner’s limited partner, contributing $36.9 million in financing. First Hawaiian Bank is the project’s construction and permanent lender.
Previous development on county-owned land within the Kamakoa Nui subdivision includes 185 homes and a 12-acre park. Future development proposes hundreds more affordable rental and for-sale units, a library, and a public school for the Waikoloa Village community.
The Office of Housing and Community Development anticipates it will seek bids by the end of 2024 to construct a loop road and related infrastructure that will open vacant land within Kamakoa Nui for future development. Funding for this infrastructure project is provided in part by the Affordable Housing Production Program established in 2022 to increase the availability and accessibility of affordable housing on Hawaii Island.
“As we move forward with the Kamakoa Nui project, this next phase will not only expand housing options but also enhance community resources,” said county Housing Administrator Susan Kunz. “By investing in essential infrastructure, we’re laying the groundwork for a vibrant and sustainable future where every resident has access to an affordable home where they can forge a path to a better future.”
For more information about Na Hale Makoa, please visit www.pacific-housing.org/na-hale-makoa.
Gov. Josh Green today issued a statement regarding a federal lawsuit challenging the eligibility requirements within the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act.
“The Hawaiian Homes Commission Act was established to address the historic dispossession of Native Hawaiians and reflects a longstanding commitment to them by both the federal government and the state of Hawaiʻi,” said Green.
“This lawsuit threatens that commitment. I have directed the Department of the Attorney General to vigorously defend the Hawaiian Homes program. We will fight this lawsuit with everything we have,” he said.
The lawsuit was filed by Eric Ryan, an Oʻahu resident who is not Native Hawaiian and tried to apply for a lease, but was denied due to the 50% Native Hawaiian blood quantum requirement, according to Hawaiʻi News Now and court documents published at Courthouse News Service.
The Class Action Complaint argues that the “explicitly ancestry-based requirement” establishes a “permanent government mandate for state officials to engage in outright racial discrimination, perpetuates stereotypes, and limits housing opportunities for most Hawai‘i residents. The blood-quantum requirement thus violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution,” the complaint alleges.
Green said the administration “stands firmly with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the thousands of Native Hawaiian beneficiaries who rely on this program and its promise for future generations.”
Attorney General Anne Lopez also issued a statement saying the state of Hawaiʻi has both a legal and moral obligation to uphold the commitments embodied in the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act.
“This lawsuit seeks to dismantle a program that has provided opportunities, stability and hope to generations of Native Hawaiian beneficiaries,” said Lopez.
Solicitor General Kalikoʻonālani Fernandes, who has extensive experience handling complex constitutional litigation on behalf of the state, will lead the legal team in defending the state against the challenge.
“We are prepared to vigorously defend the Hawaiian Homes program and the promises it represents,” said Lopez.
Under the Green administration, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands has accelerated the delivery of homestead opportunities and expanded pathways to homeownership for Native Hawaiian beneficiaries.
In 2025 alone, DHHL offered more than 2,500 lease awards and continues to advance major housing projects, including Hale Mōʻiliʻili on Oʻahu, which will provide 278 affordable rental units for beneficiaries.
“These efforts reflect the administration’s commitment to reducing wait times, strengthening Native Hawaiian communities and fulfilling the promise of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act,” according to the governor’s announcement.
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Concrete fell from the exterior of an Ala Moana Center parking structure Monday afternoon near the Kapiolani Boulevard exit, damaging a vehicle.
No injuries were reported.
Security blocked an exit lane as debris scattered across the roadway. Ala Moana Center said they are grateful no one was hurt, and the lane will remain closed while structural engineers and construction professionals assess the damage and make repairs.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
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