The YWCA of Oahu will be closing its Fernhurst women's residence on Wilder Avenue beginning Dec. 31 for a year for renovations. Renovations to close
YWCA housingAbout 45 women have had to
relocate from the Fernhurst siteBy Pat Gee
pgee@starbulletin.comAbout 45 women have had to vacate the three-story building and find new places to live, according to Pat Barros, YWCA's housing program operations manager.
Fernhurst was built in 1952 and has not had any major renovations. It provides housing for women and children seeking safe, affordable, temporary housing and can accommodate about 90 residents, Barros said. Job training and a Women's Resource Center are also on site.
The YWCA is spending more than $2.2 million to upgrade Fernhurst to bring it into compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act.
Residents have been able to make arrangements with family or friends, or may receive state or federal assistance to enter public housing, Barros said; or they have found a place to stay through other agencies, she added.
Everyone received a 90-day notice in October but knew long before then that they would have to vacate the building, she said.
The housing program's clientele has changed since it was first established 81 years ago to accommodate young working women from out of state, Barros said.
Now the program usually serves local women who are waiting for government assistance for low-cost housing, are between jobs, returning to or coming from the mainland, or are in drug rehabilitation transition programs.
They also may be senior citizens waiting for housing, or even college students, she added.
"We are dedicated to making sure we come back with the same dedication to women," said Barros.
Half of the property on which Fernhurst sits has been sold, and a separate one-story building, which houses its living room, dining room and kitchen, will be demolished.
These facilities will have to be incorporated into the existing three-story building, and it is possible that there may be fewer beds to make room for the dining and kitchen facilities, Barros said.
YWCA