WAI'ANAE — The state has unveiled the first proposal to build permanent affordable rentals as part of its three-part plan to ease the homeless crisis along the Wai'anae Coast.

Kaulana Park, the state's homeless solutions team coordinator, said the $34 million project calls for a total of 80 transitional units and 240 affordable rental units to be built on 30 acres of federal land off St. Johns Road in Lualualei.

The project is important because it takes the state response to the homeless situation beyond the initial building of temporary emergency and transitional shelters, and toward permanent solutions.

Jo Jordan, who chairs the Wai'anae Coast Neighborhood Board's parks committee, said she thinks this could be the beginning of an answer to the homeless problem — not only on the Wai'anae Coast, but as the model for other areas on O'ahu and around the state.

This is "way beyond any kind of wildest dreams that I had," Jordan said.

Park said the site's transitional units could be completed in about a year after the state takes possession of the land. The one- to four-bedroom affordable units, which would rent for $400 to $600 a month, would be built by private developers following the completion of the studio and two-bedroom transitional units by the state.

The site also would include administrative offices, a multi-purpose room, preschool, daycare, adult educational components and more.

Of the projected $34 million cost, the state's share will be at least $8.4 million for the transitional housing units it will build and operate. The remaining $25 million will be a combination of public and private funds, Park said.

"Right now there is an agreement that they (the federal government) will transfer those lands to the state," Park told about 50 people who attended his presentation at the Neighborhood Board meeting last week. "And we need to work through that agreement."

ONE SHELTER OPEN

Five months after Gov. Linda Lingle pledged to tackle the homeless crisis on the Leeward Coast, one emergency/transitional shelter has opened and contractors are making progress on another, though its scheduled Dec. 31 opening has been delayed. Other sites are still being considered.

But after initially being encouraged by the state's response, some residents are raising questions about aspects of the homeless shelter plan — including that the majority of those shelters are planned for the Leeward Coast.

To this point, the state has concentrated on building temporary emergency and transitional shelters to help O'ahu's homeless population — such as the emergency Next Step shelter in Kaka'ako, the recently completed Onelau'ena transitional shelter at Kalaeloa, and what's referred to as the Civic Center emergency shelter adjacent to the Neighborhood Community Center in Wai'anae.

MILES OF TENT DWELLERS

In June, Lingle said the coast's homeless crisis — miles of homeless tent dwellers living along beach parks from Nanakuli to Makaha and beyond — could be solved by moving the homeless through temporary emergency shelters and into transitional facilities, where they would learn social and job skills to help themselves back into society.

Those who succeed could then move into low-cost rental units supplied by the state, Lingle said. The permanent transitional/affordable rental site off St. John's Road, which the Neighborhood Board voted on Tuesday to support, fits the second and third phases of Lingle's concept.

However, the board did not approve an advisory measure supporting a new temporary transitional site that would be built on five acres of land belonging to the Wai'anae Assembly of God Church, behind the 7-Eleven convenience store on Makaha Valley Road. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has said it would fund the 40- to 50-person facility that will cost about $1 million, Park said.

Several people questioned the wisdom of building a state facility on church property — the church would keep any improvements after the five-year lease period ended.

"If there are other churches that offer property, are you willing to consider those properties and build their churches also?" board member Cynthia Rezentes asked Park.

"I want to know how many people of the congregation are of Hawaiian ancestry," added Wai'anae Coast resident Dana Newman. "Because it is OHA's mandate to assist Native Hawaiians in the largest Native Hawaiian community.

"And when you build a transitional shelter in one community, I think you should accommodate and build something outside the community — so that the aloha is spread around."

CHILDREN ON THE BEACH

But resident Polly Grace said for the sake of the area's homeless children it was time for the community to quit quibbling and take action.

"My main concern is to get the children off the beach," she said. "Get on with it. We needed this five years ago."

In the end, the board decided to support the intent of the Makaha site proposal and continue the discussion in February.

District 1 board member James Kehii of Nanakuli said the community has been patient while the beaches have become flooded with homeless tents. He said the community expectation is that once the Civic Center emergency facility is completed, the city enforce beach regulations and clean up the beaches.

"Because it's just getting worse and worse and it's becoming more obvious and more flagrant in how they are setting up their homeless sites in Nanakuli," Kehii said.

But Alice Greenwood was quick to defend what she called "my new-found community."

Greenwood was thrust into homelessness for the first time at age 60 in July because the home she had rented for 30 years was sold and she could not afford the area's high rents.

"People are complaining about the homelessness on the beach," said Greenwood, who is now a resident of Ma'ili Beach Park. "Now the state is trying to put the homeless into shelters, and everybody's complaining about the shelters being built."

"We need to get into a shelter to get ourselves more stabilized, and get counseling, so we can get jobs," she said. "If the way to get the help is in the shelters, then we need to get in there."

State's 3-part project includes 240 affordable rental units

Reach Will Hoover at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com.