A Hawaii County Council committee has shelved a plan for a county-owned, nonprofit-operated transitional house on a quiet Waiakea Uka Circle after getting an earful from neighbors of the would-be home.
At issue was a three-bedroom, 3,000-square-foot home on a third-acre of land at 76 Makani Circle. The property was purchased in October by the county’s Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD) for $809,000 in federal funds.
Plans were for the house to be leased for $10 a year to Going Home Hawaii, a Hilo nonprofit with a webpage describing its mission as to “decrease the risk of new crimes and new victims by providing supportive services to meet the individualized needs of justice-involved persons experiencing barriers to successful reintegration.”
Several Makani Circle residents testified against Resolution 475-26, which had lease proposals for that property and six others. The resolution, introduced by Puna Council member Matt Kaneali‘i-Kleinfelder by request, stated that on Nov. 5, OHCD issued a request for proposals (RFP) for “the leasehold operation and rental of each of the seven residential properties as long-term permanent housing for underserved populations who face significant barriers to secure, safe and affordable housing.”
The County Council Finance Committee on March 3 voted unanimously to shelve the resolution until Tuesday, with the Makani Circle property removed from the list.
There were 40 pieces of written testimony submitted in opposition to the plan, with five in favor. Three of the five were submitted by executives of nonprofits seeking leases to the properties.
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Many who testified in person said their families have lived on their properties for two or three generations. They included Luana Kawelu, president of the Merrie Monarch Festival, who told the committee “after much soul searching … I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t think this halfway house is a fit in our community.”
“I wanted to know how many released convicted individuals will be living in that house. I don’t know if any one of you know the answer to it, but it’s important to me,” Kawelu said. “Those who are going to be living there, what were their crimes? What were they convicted for? Stealing? Drugs? Sex crimes? Violent crimes? Assault? Property damage?
“I think these are so important for us to know to make intelligent decisions, you know?”
Carolyn Tabor alleged “a lack of transparency by the county over the purchase and the proposed action for this property.”
“I am not opposed to housing those in transition,” Tabor said. “I am opposed to housing them in established, family-friendly, single-family residential property neighborhoods such as ours. Unfortunately, the clear lack of public disclosure, at least through county-initiated communication here, leaves me suspicious.”