City opens affordable rental complex in McCully

The city Monday held a blessing for a 30-unit affordable rental project at what had been a dormitory in McCully for international students.

Each of the units at 1936 Citron St. is equipped with a small refrigerator and sink. But occupants on each floor must share a bathroom and convenience centers equipped with microwave ovens and sinks, and community rooms with full kitchens and laundry facilities.

Located a half-block away from Lunalilo Elementary School and next door to McCully District Park, the units are targeted for single parents with young children at 50% of median income or less and who are either homeless or are at risk of homelessness. Units are expected to run $700-$750 a month.

“Being a parent is difficult — really, really, really difficult — and being a single parent raising a child is even more difficult,” Mayor Kirk Caldwell said. “So if you’re on the verge of homelessness or maybe have experienced homelessness, and you have a child and you’re a single parent, the obstacles, the hurdles, the difficulties that you face are things that I can’t even begin to imagine.”

The project has been named Mohala Mai, Hawaiian for “growth.” Caldwell imagines the facility as “a place where people can come live together and live safely.”

The city purchased the land for $3.9 million in April. The $4.75 million renovation on the building by the Department of Land Management began in May.

For more information on the project, call Hawaii Affordable Properties Inc. at 589-1845 or go to hawaiiaffordable.com.