Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing Relocation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Waipoli residents say DHHL published relocation plan without notifying tenants
Summary
A testifier told the Hawaiian Homes Commission that residents of Waipoli Courtyards discovered an InterWest Group relocation plan published Oct. 15, 2025 and were not told; residents say replacement units listed are largely unavailable and they demand clear timelines and rental-assistance calculations.
Kenneth Summer Gibson, a Waipoli resident who testified during the Hawaiian Homes Commission meeting on Nov. 17, said tenants discovered a 65‑page relocation plan published Oct. 15, 2025 by InterWest Group on behalf of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and that residents received no direct notice.
"Why has no one told me about this plan?" Gibson asked, saying the plan’s list of possible replacement units included only two available units, both in Kekaha, and that residents have been told for two years they would need to relocate for construction. Gibson said residents have formed a petition asking for a relocation plan that meets requirements, a clear move‑out timeline, the order of moves, and a transparent method for calculating rental assistance.
The issue was raised during the public‑comment portion of the Nov. 17 meeting; Gibson urged the commission and the department to communicate with hundreds of affected residents who he said have been kept "in the dark." The testifier offered to forward portions of the plan to commissioners and emphasized that the plan’s "next steps" language (cited from page 62) ties household data updates to a confirmed or estimated closing date.
Commissioners did not debate or vote on the Waipoli relocation matter during the meeting; staff were not recorded making specific commitments or providing a timeline in the transcript. The testimony requested clearer, equitable and timely communication to residents and asked that the department explain how rental‑assistance calculations and move‑out sequencing will be determined.
The commission’s agenda continued after public testimony with multiple consent items and lease awards. No formal departmental response to the Waipoli testimony is recorded in the transcript segment available.
