Officials from Kauai County, the state and developers broke ground this week on the first phase of an affordable housing project in Lihue.
Uahi Ridge, at 4534 Uahi Road, is near Aloha Church and across the street from Taco Bell and Burger King, near the Department of
Water. In a news release, the developers describe the project’s site as “ideal and within walking distance to the Kukui Grove Center, employers, shopping, healthcare and other services.”
Uahi Ridge is being developed in partnership with the County of Kauai, Mark Development, ‘Ikenakea Development, Waa Partners LLC, 3 Leaf Holdings Inc. and the Hawaiian Community Development Board.
Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp.
Executive Director Dean
Minakami represented Gov. Josh Green at the groundbreaking Wednesday of the first phase of the two-phase project.
“Gov. Green has made
affordable housing his top priority, making the unprecedented act of declaring an emergency proclamation for housing,” Minakami said. “We are very grateful that ‘Ikenakea and Mark Development and their development team have stepped up to meet this challenge.
“We all know that there is a great demand for truly affordable housing, and that is why we are very pleased to see Uahi Ridge Phase 1 break ground,” Minakami said. “What we’ll have here is 95 one-, two- and three-
bedroom units that will be affordable to households earning no more than 60% of the county’s median income. What this translates to is that rents will be affordable to a couple earning about $63,000 a year, or about $80,000 for a family of four.”
Others participating in the groundbreaking celebration included Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami, the Kauai County Council and the work crews that had already started turning the dirt on the project.
“Our priority has always been to take care of our ohana, our community and our home,” Kawakami said. “Uahi Ridge — I didn’t even know the name of this place until we got involved — is a reflection of years of hard work by our County Housing Agency, Mark Development, Waa Partners and 3 Leaf partnership, Hawaiian Community Development Board, our Kauai County Council and the Lihue community. I want to thank everyone — especially those not from Kauai — who worked for the benefit of our people. Soon many of our local families will have a place to proudly call home. I’m grateful to everyone, including the workers who are turning the dirt, who stood behind this project and helped make it a
reality.”
Rents at Uahi Ridge were established in compliance with federal guidelines aimed to support households earning 50% and 60% of the area median income, or AMI. Additionally, 10 units are reserved for households earning 40% AMI, and eight units reserved for those earning as little as 30% AMI.
Uahi Ridge received financing from the HHFDC, Hula Mae Multifamily Bonds, federal and state low-income housing tax credits, and the Rental Housing Revolving Fund. Support also came from the Kauai Housing Agency and HUD project-
based Section 8 vouchers. American Savings Bank is the lead bond purchaser and lender, and Hunt Capital Partners is the tax credit syndicate.
“Projects like this do not come easy,” Minakami said. “It requires vision, resilience, commitment and patience. For Uahi Ridge Phase 1, HHFDC awarded $39 million in low-income housing tax credits, a $25 million low-interest loan from the state’s rental housing revolving fund and $36 million in
private-activity bond
financing.”
With storage space and tenant and guest parking, Uahi Ridge units will include eight three-story low-rise buildings, plus one multipurpose room for family activities. It will be focused on family living, and a keiki playground will be featured adjacent to the multipurpose room, according to the developers.
