DHHL unveils 24-home modular pilot on Oʻahu to speed housing for beneficiaries

Elijah Davidson, project manager with the Land Development Division at the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL), announced a pilot to place 24 factory-built modular homes on Oʻahu, saying the program is intended "to make housing more affordable for all native Hawaiian beneficiaries." He said the pilot will place 16 homes in Kapolei and 8 homes in Waiʻanae, with Kapolei homes distributed across three subdivisions (Kanahili, East Kapolei 2B and East Kapolei 2C).

The presentation framed the pilot as a response to long DHHL wait lists and high local construction costs. Davidson said the agency is pursuing modular volumetric factory construction because of its "efficiency, the affordability, the quality control, as well as an increase in jobs." He emphasized the pilot is intended to preserve eligibility and succession rights for beneficiaries on DHHL leases while accelerating delivery of houses.