Nā Hale Makoa: Bold new workforce housing project breaks ground in Waikōloa

Hawaiʻi County and several partners on Tuesday took the first step to provide a bold new development of affordable housing for working Big Island individuals and families.

A groundbreaking ceremony was hosted for Nā Hale Makoa, which can be translated to the brave or bold house, a new workforce housing community in Waikōloa.

“Today marks a pivotal step forward in our commitment to addressing the affordable housing needs of our community,” said Hawaiʻi County Mayor Mitch Roth. “Nā Hale Makoa represents more than just new buildings; it symbolizes our dedication to ensuring that working families have access to safe, affordable and high-quality housing,”

Nā Hale Makoa is designed to serve households earning up to 140% of area median income, with 139 units of 1, 2 or 3 bedrooms and an on-site resident manager’s unit.

Each unit will include a washer and dryer, range, refrigerator, vinyl plank flooring, window coverings and ceiling fans, as well as a private lānai and storage closet.

The pet-friendly community will also have a recreation center with a kitchen for meetings and gatherings, resource and technology center with high-speed internet access, management office and playground.

Picnic areas and walking/biking paths will be provided throughout the 10-acre development as well.

The county is leasing the Nā Hale Makoa site — within the county’s Kamakoa Nui subdivision on the north side of Waikōloa — for 68 years to owner Kamakoa Nui Limited Partnership.

Construction is expected to take a little more than a year.

Applications will be accepted starting about September 2025, and it’s anticipated that families will begin moving in during the first quarter of 2026.

Hawaiʻi nonprofit housing organization Pacific Housing Assistance Corp. was selected 4 years ago by the Hawaiʻi County Office of Housing and Community Development to develop Nā Hale Makoa.

“We have been diligently working with our development team and our state, county and private financing partners on the Nā Hale Makoa project since 2020,” said Pacific Housing Assistance Corp. Executive Director Audrey Awaya. “We appreciate their support and look forward to starting construction on this much-needed workforce housing development to help our working families in West Hawaiʻi.”

Funding for the Nā Hale Makoa project comes from various sources:

• Hula Mae Multi-Family Revenue Bond program.
• Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program and Rental Housing Revolving Fund program provided by the Hawaiʻi Housing Finance Development Corp.
• Hawaiʻi County Affordable Housing Production Program.
• 30 project-based vouchers awarded by the county Office of Housing and Community Development.

National Equity Fund, one of the largest nonprofit tax credit syndicators, is the project owner’s limited partner, contributing $36.9 million in equity financing.

First Hawaiian Bank is the project’s construction and permanent lender.

“Creating affordable housing options for our workforce families continues to be a top priority for [Hawaiʻi Gov. Josh Green] and [the Hawaiʻi Housing Finance Development Corp.],” said Hawaiʻi Housing Finance Development Corp. Executive Director Dean Minakami. “Nā Hale Makoa offers us further proof that the best way to achieve this goal is through the formation of partnerships that bring together private homebuilders and various government agencies.”

For more information about Nā Hale Makoa, click here.

“By partnering with Pacific Housing Assistance Corp. and the Kamakoa Nui Limited Partnership, and utilizing county land effectively, we are not only providing homes but also fostering a stronger, more vibrant community,” said Roth. “This project is a testament to what we can achieve when we work together towards a common goal of enhancing the quality of life for all our residents.”

Previous development on county land in the Kamakoa Nui subdivision included 185 homes and a 12-acre park. Future plans call for hundreds more affordable rentals and for-sale units, a library and a public school.

The county Office of Housing and Community Development anticipates it will seek bids by the end of this year to construct a loop road and related infrastructure to open vacant land within Kamakoa Nui for additional development.

Funding for that infrastructure will come from the Affordable Housing Production Program, which was established in 2022 to increase the availability and accessibility of affordable housing on Hawaiʻi Island.

“As we move forward with the Kamakoa Nui project, this next phase will not only expand housing options but also enhance community resources,” said Hawaiʻi County Housing Administrator Susan Kunz. “By investing in essential infrastructure, we’re laying the groundwork for a vibrant and sustainable future where every resident has access to an affordable home where they can forge a path to a better future.”