Department official says about 511 million of roughly 600 million was spent on infrastructure, seeks more funding

A department official told attendees that about 511,000,000 of an approximately 600,000,000 allocation was used to build infrastructure for housing projects across multiple Hawaiian islands and that additional funding will be needed to finish construction.

The official said the agency’s investments focused on bringing water (potable and nonpotable for agriculture), roadways and prepared lots into service so beneficiaries can build homes. “Well, about 511,000,000 went towards infrastructure,” the official said, adding that the agency does not typically fund vertical construction for homes and instead partners with private entities that bring financing to the table.

The presentation described those private contributions as substantial: “they bring, like, about 2,000,000,000 worth of monies to the table,” the official said. The official also outlined financing services the agency offers, including funding for financial assessments and down-payment assistance grants to help beneficiaries build houses.

The official emphasized that projects are statewide, not limited to a single island, and pointed to 28 projects in the agency’s materials. Work is planned or underway on Oahu, Maui, Hawai‘i Island and the smaller islands, with specific mention that projects on Lanai and Molokai continue. The speaker said a local general excise tax set-aside will generate roughly 89,000,000 by about 2030 to support shared infrastructure.

As an example of coordination, the official said the county of Maui is building an affordable housing project on Lanai and the agency is planning infrastructure adjacent to it so resources can be pooled for shared infrastructure. The official thanked the County of Maui council and administration for cooperation.

On Honokawai, the official said phase 1 awards were completed last year and phase 2 is being awarded now; those awards “solidify those lessees” and allow the agency to request construction funding from the legislature. The official said subsistence-agriculture parcels in the project are roughly 40 lots at about two acres apiece and that construction is expected to begin around 2030.

The official urged public support and testimony for funding requests in upcoming legislative sessions, saying several projects will not be possible without additional state monies. The presentation closed with a handoff to a later speaker who will offer more detailed information on specific sites.

The department said supporting materials, including a PowerPoint and a project map, will be posted on its website for reference.