Rep. Karl Rhoads on Saving Kukui Gardens

Freshman Representative Karl Rhoads has a piece in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin today about the need for the state to save Kukui Gardens, a 22-acre affordable housing complex on the edge of Chinatown. He writes:

Putting 2,500 people out on the street not only would result in a number of Kukui Gardens residents becoming homeless, but it also would drive up prices for the rest of us. Estimates to build 857 units from scratch fall in the $350-$400 million range. Thus, even though the $131 million [starting] price is substantial, it is much cheaper than the alternatives.

If Hawaii is going to continue to have a middle class, we are going to have to figure out a way to provide workforce housing and housing for our kupuna. While we need to provide more housing, we cannot afford to lose the inventory we already have.

HB667, introduced by Rep. Rhoads, authorizes the state to issue $25 million in general obligation bonds to acquire an interest in the land and improvements of the Kukui Gardens property. Read the rest of the piece here.