A $7 million rehabilitation of Kalepa Village 23 has been completed, preserving 80 affordable rental homes for families and older residents in Līhuʻe.
On Thursday, the Kaua‘i Housing Development Corporation marked the project’s completion with a small gathering and blessing by Kahu Jade Waialeale Battad at the Kalepa Village community center.
Kalepa 23 consists of Kalepa Village Phases 2 and 3, with eight two-story residential buildings featuring one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments. The development serves households earning no more than 60% of the area median income, with units designated for households at the 30%, 50% and 60% income levels.
“This investment ensures that 80 affordable homes on Kauaʻi will remain available to local families and kūpuna for years to come,” said Andy Friend, executive director of the Kauaʻi Housing Development Corporation.
The rehabilitation included replacing the solar water heating system, repairing exterior dry rot, and repainting interior and exterior surfaces. Individual apartments also received upgrades, including new flooring, appliances, cabinets and light fixtures.
Crews also replaced numerous plumbing fixtures and interior doors in all 80 units already occupied.
The improvements are also intended to enhance living conditions for residents while extending the life of the existing affordable housing development.
“I feel very grateful, and I feel lucky that we get to show people how much we care about them,” Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami told Kauaʻi Now.
“We’re trying our best to get more units online, rehabilitate existing units. … I know the list of people that are trying to get into housing is long, but don’t give up hope because you never know when things open up, so just stay in it.”
Funding for the rehabilitation comes from a combination of public and private sources, including federal and state low-income housing tax credits and support from the Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corp.’s Rental Housing Revolving Fund, Bank of Hawaiʻi, and the Rural Community Assistance Corp., which also provided financing.
“It’s a long time in the planning and a lot of hard work went into this, and it was a much-needed rehab project, so it’s exciting,” Adam Roversi, housing director with the Kauaʻi County Housing Agency, told Kauaʻi Now. “It sets this place up for another 30 years of smooth operations.”
Kauaʻi County owns the land beneath the development. Shioi Construction served as general contractor for the rehabilitation.
“Preserving existing affordable housing is an important part of addressing Kaua‘i’s housing needs, allowing the island to retain homes for local residents while improving established communities,” Friend said.
The Kaua‘i Housing Development Corporation’s next big project is phase two of the Lima Ola subdivision in Eleʻele.
“There’ll be another 175 new homes out there when that happens, and we’re hoping to break ground in early 2027,” Roversi said.
Kauaʻi residents interested in applying for affordable housing can click here to learn about rental requirements.
