Affordable housing, senior housing, homelessness outreach and new firefighting equipment are all set to be funded in the coming year via the federal Community Development Block Grant program.
The Hawaii County Office of Housing and Community Development, which coordinates local participation in the program, released its list of projects last week. A public comment period for the projects runs through March 18.
According to the county, OHCD expects to receive $2.5 million in federal funding this year.
The bulk of that is set to be allocated to the Kamakana Villages affordable housing project in North Kona. A total of $700,000 will be split between development of family rentals and senior affordable housing.
Block grants often help fund multiple phases of a project. This is the case with Kamakana Villages, which is still in its early stages, and another 2016 allocation: construction work on the Hilo Adult Day Center.
“This is the fourth allocation that this project is getting,” said Keith Kato, executive director for the Hawaii Island Community Development Corporation. The group is partnering with Hawaii Island Adult Care Inc. to build a new facility for the Hilo center and its program.
The current facility was built in 1924.
“CDBG previously paid for (new) architectural plans and the infrastructure that we installed,” Kato said. “With this (2016) allocation, we’ll have over $4 million committed.”
The partners have an overall goal of $7 million for the new center, and also are expecting fundraising help from national foundations as well as the state Legislature.
“We’re hopeful that we can get under construction later this year,” Kato said. “The building permits are ready to be picked up.”
Other block grant projects are: a wild-land fire pumper apparatus for the Pahala Fire Station ($565,000); Residential Repair Program ($344,616); Boys and Girls Club facility improvements ($91,500); and vehicle acquisition for a mobile homeless outreach service program ($68,455).
The CDBG funding also provides $400,000 for county administration, planning and fair housing.
Email Ivy Ashe at iashe@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
