28 Dec Kaua`i Habitat Dedicates Homes to Six Homebuyers in Waimea Huakai
On November 22, 2023, Kaua‘i Habitat for Humanity dedicated six newly completed homes in the Waimea Huakai subdivision. There the six families were presented with housewarming gifts provided by community members, Kaua‘i Planning and Action Alliance and Kaua‘i Habitat for Humanity and its Homeowner Support Committee. The recent home completions bring the total number of homes provided by the nonprofit to 239.
The newest Habitat homebuyers are: Claudia “Marlene” Osuna, Tanya Numazawa, Napua and Keala Piimanu, Roddy Cachero and Kirri Anderson, Erica Keough and John “JD” Irons, and Hayley-Jay Kaeo.
“The road to homeownership is not an easy one,” stated Executive Director Milani Pimental. “These homebuyers had to work very hard and endure a long build process. This dedication is our opportunity to celebrate their commitment and perseverance to secure a brighter future for themselves and their families.”
These six homes were built with qualified homebuyers in partnership with USDA Sect. 502 Guaranteed Loan Program via lender VIP Mortgage and mortgage broker Bonnie Kaae of Hawaii Mortgage Professionals LLC, as well as lender County of Kaua‘i, and the HOME Investment Partnerships Program which provided significant down payment assistance, a major grant from Pricilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg through the Chan Zuckerberg Kaua`i Community Fund, Title Guaranty Hawaii, as well as many community donors and volunteers. Many of the community donors and volunteers’ partner with Kaua‘i Habitat though its Builders Guild sponsorship programs, which offer businesses and organizations a team build day as part of their sponsorship benefits.
The Waimea Huakai subdivision, when complete, will provide a total of 32 single-family homes in addition to the 35 affordable rental units developed by the County of Kaua`i and Ahe Group to the area. Two homes were completed earlier this year, and the recent six homes were completed October 3, 2023. Kaua‘i Habitat currently has 10 new home starts underway and is finalizing homebuyer selections from its previous housing offering for the 14 remaining homes to be built in the subdivision.
The home dedication comes on the heels of Kaua‘i Habitat’s 30th Anniversary dinner which celebrated thirty years of the nonprofit providing the community with access to affordable housing. The dinner was held November 4, 2023 and was sponsored by HPM Building Supply, Gay and Robinson, Kukui‘ula and McBryde Resources, and Oceanfront Sotheby’s International Realty. The fundraising event was consistent with Kaua‘i Habitat’s mission of bringing people together to build homes, communities and hope.