Housing units on Big Island to be renovated
HILO » Two groups have volunteered to renovate four vacant units in Lanakila Homes public housing in Hilo rather than let them be demolished, said Chad Taniguchi, executive director of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority.
The private Office for Social Ministry and state Rep. Clifton Tsuji each agreed to provide volunteer labor to save one duplex rental building, constructed in 1951 and still structurally sound.
The renovation plan, which the agency hopes will extend to all 62 units remaining in 31 duplex buildings, is a reversal of a decision in 1998 to demolish all 230 units in Lanakila.
"They were perfectly good to live in," Taniguchi said. "The planning wasn't far-seeing enough. There were bad decisions," he said.
All of the low-income tenants were evicted, leaving units idle while some were replaced with new buildings.
Out of 230 units, 136 were eventually replaced.
But the process was slow, and the agency, then known as the Housing and Community Development Corp. of Hawaii, was plagued with problems.
After years of inaction, the agency resumed the demolition of 32 units recently, but in the process, Taniguchi realized the buildings were sound. Some are built with 1-inch-thick redwood siding, others with three-quarter-inch thick redwood, he said.
There is dry rot in some places, but it is minor, he said.
The 32 units were carefully dismantled, and the wood was reused. "The wood is all good," he said.
In the 10 years since the demolition began, the economics of housing have changed. New units would now cost $300,000 each, but Taniguchi thinks the old ones can be renovated for $150,000 each.
Tsuji said there is a "dire" need for public housing on the Big Island.
Mayor Harry Kim said that out of a population of 165,000 on the island, one third are either homeless, one payment away from losing their home or doubled and tripled up in the homes of relatives.