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Residents oppose proposed Kahale on DHHL trust land; board to request briefings
Summary
Residents at the July 16 meeting objected to a proposed Kahale (communal/tiny-home) site on Puia Avenue trust lands, arguing DHHL trust lands belong to beneficiaries; the board deferred detailed consideration to its housing committee and asked governor and mayor representatives for follow-up and beneficiary consultation details.
Several residents urged the neighborhood board to oppose a state/DHHL proposal to place a Kahale-style communal housing site on Puia Avenue trust lands.
Patty Turia told the board that "trust lands are for beneficiaries" and said Puia Avenue residents oppose placing transitional 'Kahale' homes on an abandoned house lot that she said should be added to DHHL inventory for wait-listers. "We are not against houseless people, but they have to pick a particular area, not just put it on trust land," she said.
Austin Salcedo and other residents echoed concerns about the communal nature of Kahale facilities, noting they often operate under conditional-use permits and require neighborhood board engagement. Participants urged beneficiary consultation with DHHL and asked the governor's and mayor's representatives to provide clearer information about proposed sites, program numbers, and how the state defines "Kahale." Governor's rep Gary said he would raise the concerns with DHHL and the governor's office and bring back more detail.
The chair said she would defer the matter to the board's housing committee and encouraged residents to remain for updates from governor's and mayor's representatives in the meeting. The board also planned to invite Sam Moku (state homelessness director) and Mayor's office representatives to a future meeting to clarify the Kahale program's scope and process.
Why it matters: The proposal raises tensions between beneficiary-use trust-land protections and emergency/homeless housing initiatives. The committee referral and requests for state/city briefings set a path for formal community consultation before any land-use decision.
