When HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research went looking for models of veteran housing done right, Hale Nā Koa ʻO Hanakahi made the list.
The Hilo community — Hawaiʻi’s first income-restricted rental development designed for older adult veterans and their surviving spouses — was recently featured in HUD’s PD&R Edge publication, highlighting how the 91-unit development addressed one of the nation’s most acute affordable housing markets while filling a critical gap for veterans aging in place.
What caught HUD’s attention: a lease-up that took just two months, a layered public-private funding model totaling approximately $58 million, and a resident-centered design that prioritizes connection as much as shelter. Walking paths, garden beds, a dog park, a covered lanai, and programming ranging from Zumba to healthcare provider visits round out a community built for belonging.
