A dream of homeownership is becoming reality for the Uyeda ʻohana, who recently received the keys to their new three-bedroom, two-bathroom home in Hilo.  

The August 22 handover ceremony and celebration marked a milestone in the partnership between HALE O Hawaiʻi Community Land Trust and County of Hawaiʻi Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD), advancing an innovative land trust model to keep homes affordable for generations to come.

The home was made possible through a collaboration that combines County support with the stewardship of HALE O Hawai‘i. The project received $300,000 from the County’s Affordable Housing Production (AHP) Program in Fiscal Year 2023-24 and was developed on State-owned land conveyed to the County by Executive Order, then leased for 65 years to HALE O Hawai‘i for this pilot project.

Under the community land trust model, families purchase homes through a long-term leasehold arrangement. The land itself remains in trust, helping reduce the cost of homeownership while ensuring the property remains affordable in perpetuity. Immediate family may inherit the lease, strengthening generational housing stability.

In addition to the Hilo home, HALE O Hawai‘i has completed construction of a second single-family home in Volcano that was also supported by $300,000 in Affordable Housing Production Program funding. HALE O Hawaiʻi is in the process of finalizing the sale of the home and long-term leasehold arrangement with the qualified buyer.

Meanwhile, the County has finalized the 65-year lease of another State-owned parcel in Hilo conveyed to the County by Executive Order to HALE O Hawaiʻi to support additional affordable housing opportunities on Hawai’i Island.

Supporting community land trusts is one part of the County’s larger strategy to address Hawai‘i Island’s affordable housing shortage. Alongside efforts to increase affordable rentals, incentivize private development, and rehabilitate and preserve existing housing, land trusts provide a powerful tool to create and preserve affordable homeownership opportunities that last across generations.

For more information about HALE O Hawai‘i, visit https://haleohawaii.org.

 

Photo credit: Office of Mayor Kimo Alameda