Chan, Zuckerberg donate $626,000 to Kaua‘i nonprofit for affordable housing in Kīlauea

Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg have donated $626,000 to the nonprofit Permanently Affordable Living Hawai’i to place five homes of a workforce housing project into a land trust.

The Chan and Zuckerberg contribution is going toward the project called Kauhale O Namahana in Kīlauea, which will have a total of 11 single-family units for low and middle-income households.

Permanently Affordable Living Hawai’i is building five of the units, which will serve individuals at 120% area median income and below. Kaua‘i Habitat for Humanity is building the other six units, which will serve households at 80% area median income or below.

The complex with ocean and mountain views is located located opposite the Kīlauea Post Office, not far from Chan and Zuckerberg’s 1,400-acre estate named Ko‘olau Ranch in nearby Moloa‘a.

The project is slated for completion by the end of 2025. Septic tanks and other infrastructure already have been installed. Vertical construction is next.

Housing is the single biggest household expense in the state of Hawaiʻi, making up 38% of household spending for local people. It is such a problem that Gov. Josh Green proclaimed an ongoing affordable housing crisis soon after he entered office two years ago.

The Kauhale O Namahana project is part of Permanently Affordable Living’s Ho’omaluhia Community Land Trust, through which homeowners enter a 99-year renewable land lease with resale restrictions that keep the home affordable for future buyers.

“Our affordability period will be for two, 99-year lease periods for a total of 198 years of affordability through our community land trust,” said Larry Graff, executive director of Permanently Affordable Living Hawai’i.

These lengthy lease periods represent a unique approach for a nonprofit organization on Kaua‘i, according to Graff.

He described the approach as a “culturally competent” model through which homeowners cannot wait several years before selling their property at market rates.

Most affordable housing projects return to market rate after 10 to 20 years.

Permanently Affordable Living is behind a range of housing projects to meet “the continuum of care” required by the Kaua‘i population, Graff said.

The nonprofit also offers “service-enriched rental housing” for houseless individuals at Kauhale O Kekaha on the West Side.

Permanently Affordable Living’s points system for homeownership prioritizes local families. Considerations include length of residency on Kaua‘i, place of employment and service employment, which grants points to civil servants, essential workers and cultural practitioners.

Zuckerberg, the 40-year-old founder, chairman and CEO of Meta, was worth $195.5 billion on Monday, making him the fourth-richest person in the world, according to the Forbes Real Time Billionaires List.

For more information about Permanently Affordable Living Hawaiʻi, visit pal-hawaii.org.

The nonprofit hosts PAL Radio, a show dedicated to local issues, on community radio station KKCR every fourth Monday. Visit kkcr.org to stream live.