A Housing Community for Kupuna

About 1,000 people on Hawaii Island are homeless, but a new, affordable rental housing community is helping to decrease their numbers. The Sacred Heart Community Affordable Housing Project is a collaboration between HPM Building Supply and Hilo-based nonprofit HOPE Services Hawaii.

The housing complex, named for its location on land owned by Sacred Heart Church in Pahoa, is the first of its kind on the island. In November, previously houseless kupuna moved into a dozen of HPM’s innovative HalePlus prefabricated modular homes. HPM designed and constructed the custom 480-square-foot studio units to meet specific features and price points. HPM also provided the units to HOPE Services Hawaii at a reduced cost, and worked closely with the nonprofit on ADA compliance and accessibility. Each unit has its own kitchen, bathroom and lanai.

Each of the 480-square-foot studio units comes with its own lanai, and includes a kitchen and bathroom inside.

“We are proud to partner with HOPE Services Hawaii on the Sacred Heart Project,” says Jason Fujimoto, chairman and CEO of HPM Building Supply. He says it took a joint effort — along with the help of other local nonprofits, the  government and private-sector organizations — to bring their vision to life. “We hope this project will serve as a model for other housing projects across Hawaii” and that it will “inspire others to work together, create more attainable housing solutions, and transform communities.”

All the units are fully furnished, thanks to support from local organizations, businesses and faith groups. The entire project was funded by donors, who provided $2.2 million for the purchase of the 14.5-acre property, site work, and construction and installation.

Prior to the project’s grand opening, the community was invited to vote on HOPE Services Hawaii’s Facebook and Instagram pages for their favorite furnished units.

“This development is transforming the lives of our kupuna who now call it home, and that makes it worthwhile,” says Brandee Menino, CEO of HOPE Services Hawaii. “We are grateful to HPM’s leadership for saying yes to this new initiative and to their team, whose hard work and commitment helped make this dream a reality. We couldn’t have done this without our partners, and we hope that other groups and individuals in Hawaii will use this as an inspiration to work together to build affordable housing for our neighbors.”

John Hutchinson, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who had been living in HOPE Services Hawaii’s men’s shelter, was the first to move into the community. “It’s been a long way,” he says. “The last year has been an incredible journey, and for me to wind up in a place like this … I mean, it’s all furnished. I have a bed, I have a couch, I have a TV, and a kitchen. … This is more than I could have ever expected. This is beautiful.”

Editor’s Note: This article has been slightly modified from the original print version for optimal online reading. To view the full print story, pick up your copy of Hawaii Home + Remodeling at one of our partner locations.