Hale Mohalu II Ground Breaking and Dedication

Image by Governor Neil Abercrombie
Today marked the ground breaking ceremony for the Hale Mohalu II Affordable Family Rental Apartments, and dedication for the Senior Rental Apartments. The area was formerly the ground of Hale Mohalu residential treatment facility for Hansen’s disease patients from 1949 to 1978.

In 1996, Bernard Punikaia, former Hansen’s disease patient, became an advocate to build this senior complex. This project is being built by the Coalition for Specialized Housing. The two buildings will be named in honor of Bernard Punikaia and Clarence Naia.

This project is the result of a public-private collaboration between the State of Hawaii’s Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the City and County of Honolulu and the Coalition for Specialized Housing.