DIANA LEONE / DLEONE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Kukui Gardens resident Hong Mei Ma signed a petition yesterday in support of the rental complex remaining affordable for low- and moderate-income residents.
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Group fights for Kukui Gardens
A gathering at the housing complex hopes to ensure that rents stay affordable
About 200 residents of Kukui Gardens gathered yesterday morning to organize to keep their low- and moderate-income housing complex in Ewa affordable when the 857-unit complex is put up for sale.
"You are not alone," said Bob Nakata, a former state senator and church pastor who has been active in homeless and affordable housing issues. "There's a lot of support out there and we can work together to save your housing," he said.
Nakata, Honolulu City Councilman Rod Tam, housing rights activist Dorothea Pale and Kukui Gardens Community Association President Carol Anzai told the residents that they would help them stay in their apartments.
Tam, whose district does not include the complex, said he was there because he has been successful in helping other residents of low-income housing.
Many of the complex's 2,500 residents are immigrants from China and Korea, said Anzai, who has lived in the complex 33 years. She is collecting signatures on a petition to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for assurance that current owner Kukui Gardens Corp. and any future buyers keep resident rents affordable.
Low-income rent prices range from $444 for a one-bedroom apartment to $818 for a four-bedroom-two bath model.
DIANA LEONE / DLEONE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Mun Tuck Lui, in the aloha shirt, translated a speech by Honolulu City Councilman Rod Tam, at far left, into Cantonese for residents of the Kukui Gardens Housing Project at a meeting yesterday. Current owner Kukui Garden Corp. is selling the 857-unit complex and residents are worried a new owner would increase their rents or destroy the complex to make way for other projects.
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Kukui Gardens announced three weeks ago that it will sell the 22-acre complex bounded by Beretania and Liliha streets, Vineyard Boulevard and Nuuanu Stream.
CB Richard Ellis, which is handling the sale, has not set an asking price. Brokers already have begun to show the property and it is expected to move quickly, real estate consultant Stevens Gilley said yesterday.
Proceeds from the sale of Kukui Gardens will ensure the continued viability of the Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation, established by the late philanthropist in 1967, spokeswoman Elisa Yadao said. The foundation has provided several million dollars to Saint Louis School, Chaminade University, St. Francis Medical Center and other community organizations over the years, she said.
The non-profit Kukui Gardens hasn't contributed to income for the foundation.
Because Kukui Gardens was built with financing from HUD, it's required to remain affordable rental housing until 2011, even under new owners, Yadao said. The five-year interval is expected to give tenants adequate time to find new housing, she said.
But some tenants yesterday said they were worried that the new owners could find a way around the HUD requirement and kick them out before 2011. "They're really scared," said Anzai.
Ruxiong Fong, 76, has lived at Kukui Gardens more than 20 years.
"Yeah, she's worried," said her grandson, Stanlui Lin, who lives in San Francisco, but attended the meeting with her yesterday. "After the meeting, she feels a little better, because they say they're going to fight for it."
The Associated Press contributed to this story.