It’s a great idea, if you can find financing for it

A developer who has been trying for years to get financing to build affordable rentals for low-income seniors in Mililani Mauka has devised what may be the last, best hope for the project: a lease-back deal that gives a state agency ownership of the 7.5-acre land parcel and should improve the developer’s chances of getting state financing to actually build the 301-unit complex.

The developer, GSF LLC, has been working on the Meheula Vista project since 2010. The long ordeal aptly illustrates that while there is a dire need for affordable rentals on Oahu, there’s an equally serious shortage of financing to fuel their construction.

Your grandson is in trouble; give me your money

It’s not a new scam by any means, but the boldness of the scammers might be.

One Hawaii senior was bilked of more than $200,000 by scammers calling for money to help the woman’s West Coast grandson, whom they falsely said had been in an accident and was in legal trouble. The woman complied three times; on the third, a man showed up at her home for the check. This was just one of three so-called "grandma scams" within three weeks here, with scammers appearing at victims’ homes.

All this is harrowing enough for any citizen, but more so for the elderly who are particularly vulnerable. So heighten your awareness and skepticism: Do not give money to callers or causes without verifying, and never give out your address to strangers.