posted by Brandi S. on January 30, 2019 in Blog
Hale Mahaolu held a celebration today for its pre opening of Hale Mahaolu Ewalu Phase I affordable rental housing campus for seniors aged 62 and older in the Kulamalu Town Center. Initial residents will begin moving in on February 1st. The rental units at Ewalu Phase I are subsidized by project-based housing vouchers which have been supplied by the County of Maui Department of Housing and Human Concerns Section 8 office. The application period was held in August 2018 with over 280 applying for the 38 available units.
Funding was provided through The County of Maui Affordable Housing Fund, The State of Hawaii Grant in Aid, Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation Low Income Housing Tax Credits and Rental Housing Revolving Fund, Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, Bank of Hawaii and Hale Mahaolu. The Ewalu project started construction in April 2017. Ewalu Phase I includes a total of 38 affordable rental units (36 one bedroom/one bath, 2 two bedroom/one bath), one manager’s unit and a Senior Center. The Senior Center (The Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Upcountry Maui Senior Center) is under construction and includes a laundry mat, a beauty salon, administrative offices, commercial kitchen and a maintenance shop. It is scheduled for completion in late July 2019.
Ewalu will be Hale Mahaolu’s second senior rental housing campus in the Upcountry Maui area. The complex is being built in two phases and will ultimately provide a total of 61 affordable rental units for seniors.
The celebration also included the groundbreaking for Ewalu II which will bring another 22 affordable one bedroom/one bath rental units. This phase received funding from The County of Maui Affordable Housing Fund, Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Bank of Hawaii and Hale Mahaolu. Construction on Phase II will commence in February 4, 2019.
Hale Mahaolu Executive Director Grant Chun stated, “A project like this is only possible with the support and efforts of an incredible team of people. We are so appreciative of our funders, our County and State leaders and partners, our Board, and our project team. We have a lot of excited new residents moving into Hale Mahaolu Ewalu shortly, and we are truly excited and happy for them as well.”
The Kulamalu Town Center subdivision is a fast growing neighborhood which will ultimately contain a variety of stores, offices, restaurants, and other amenities. Currently, there is a Long’s Drugs within walking distance to the site. A popular farmer’s market adjacent to the project site is held every Saturday morning, and the Maui Bus has a regular stop in Kulamalu.
Hale Mahaolu, a private non-profit corporation organized in 1967, has experience as sponsor, developer, owner, and manager of 16 properties (over 1,100 units) in Maui County. The corporation’s purpose is to develop and manage safe, sanitary, decent, affordable housing, as well as provide support services for very low to moderate income seniors, individuals and families in Maui County.
