Residents of an affordable housing complex in Kahuku are asking a judge to stop their landlord from dropping out of a subsidy program that pays for part of their rent. The Legal Aid Society of Hawai'i filed suit on their behalf in state Circuit Court this morning against Kahuku Housing Foundation Inc.

According to Gavin Thornton, attorney for the residents, Kahuku Housing Foundation wants to drop out of the U.S. Housing and Urban Development program that subsidizes rent for this low-income housing project.

But John Primacio Jr., Kahuku Housing board member, said the foundation wants to go from the Section 8 system to a voucher system that it believes is better for the elderly and will make it easier for the foundation to administer the complex.

The complex has 64 units and most of them are occupied by elderly.

The fear is once Kahuku Foundation drops out of the program, the residents could lose their homes, Thornton said. But Primacio said that won't happen.