HALE O Hawai´i County Offers Path to Affordable Home Ownership

Those in Hawai´i County who are renting but would prefer to own, but think you don’t earn enough to own a home should think again.

The Housing and Land Enterprise of Hawai´i County, or HALE O Hawai´i County, is an affordable housing community land trust tasked to help. The nonprofit organization negotiates land partnerships and acquisitions and, with public and private support, builds new homes. The homes are then sold to qualified low-income Big Island residents while the land is leased to the new homeowner for 99 years. 

The benefits of this model are two-fold. It creates an affordable housing option by reducing the mortgage amount to cover only the structure. Secondly, the land trust resale formula ensures single-family homes will be affordable for future generations in perpetuity. 

In comparison, many affordable housing projects have an “expiration date” where the competitive market rate is able to apply after this date elapses. The homeowner pockets the proceeds and can sell to any buyer while low-moderate income families are priced out yet again. A community land trust does not sell fee simple or leasehold properties and has no expiration date.

The community land trust (CLT) model is successful in the state with CLTs on O´ahu and Maui’s Nā Hale O Maui developing affordable housing with public, private, and county support. HALE O Hawai´i County is dedicated to developing Big Island affordable housing and welcomes your participation in the form of financial and community support.

HALE O Hawai´i County asks Big Island residents with low to moderate incomes interested in affordable homeownership to apply. Once an application is received, qualified individuals will be contacted to review terms and receive assistance with the mortgage application and down payment. Then, as homes become available, applicants will be able to participate in homeownership selection.

The next available project is in Hawaiian Paradise Park and is set for completion in January 2022. The new single family home has 2 bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms with a double carport on a one acre lot. Individuals are encouraged to start the application process now by visiting HaleOHawaii.org. 

For more information about the project or ways to support HALE O Hawai´i, a 501c3 organization, contact by phone at (808) 464-6040 or e-mail at haleohawaiicounty@gmail.com.