County housing administrator reports 200 new rental units; online dashboard and project updates provided

Hawaii County’s housing administrator presented the quarterly affordable housing report (Oct. 1–Dec. 31, 2024) at the Communications Reports and Council Oversight Committee meeting on March 18 and said two projects added about 200 rental units to the county inventory.

Housing administrator Kehaulani Am Costa said the two projects reporting new rental inventory were Nakoa Hale (Hale Nakoa) in Hilo on Ka‘u‘i Drive and Kauhale Ke Kula‘oka (formerly Kaloko Heights) on the west side. The administrator said all units at Kauhale Ke Kula‘oka are open for move‑in and lease‑up is underway. She said the property contains about 75 project‑based Section 8 vouchers and that lease‑up had reached more than about 50% of voucher units at the time of the meeting.

Why it matters: the county’s affordable inventory and voucher placements affect placement of low‑income households and veterans and feed into planning for shelters and supportive housing. The administrator also told the committee the county’s affordable housing dashboard is updated live on the county website and can be used to see project status between quarterly reports.

Council comments and requests: Councilmember Inaba asked for confirmation that all units were available for move‑in at Kaloko Heights; Costa confirmed. Councilmember Inaba also requested a QR code linking the written quarterly communication directly to the live dashboard for future reports. Councilmember Lee Kleinfelder flagged an entry for student housing listed at 20% AMI that appeared inconsistent and asked the administrator to review that listing and report back.

Document items and supplemental exhibits: Costa said the quarterly submission included three reportable items required under Chapter 11 of the Hawaii County Code: (1) a list of developers in possession of excess affordable‑housing credits (no change since the prior report), (2) the current affordable housing inventory (updated list provided), and (3) an accounting of significant actions taken under Chapter 11. She also noted the packet included two supplemental exhibits — an inventory of emergency and transitional shelters and an inventory of permanent supportive housing, substance‑abuse treatment and medical respite facilities — provided at the council’s request although those exhibits are outside the Chapter 11 reporting requirement.

Committee action: Councilmember Kaneo Lee Kleinfelder moved to close the file on Communication 35.1; Councilmember Kaguewata seconded the motion. The committee recorded 7 ayes with Councilmembers Michelle Galimba and Ashley Kurkowitz excused and closed the file.

Ending: Councilmembers thanked the housing administrator for the report and suggested follow‑up items (QR code to dashboard, review of the AMI listing). Costa said her office would work with the trafficking presenters later in the meeting to align outreach and training for providers working with vulnerable populations.