A Place of Hope and Promise: Affordable Housing, Juvenile Services at Hale Kalele
Posted on Jun 2, 2022 in Featured News, News & Reports
From left: Kobayashi Group representatives B.J. Kobayashi, Patrick Kobayashi, Bert Kobayashi Sr., and Alana Kobayashi Pakkala join Gov. David Ige, First Lady Dawn Amano-Ige, Hawaii Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald, and Kahu Kordell Kekoa to untie the lei at the grand opening of the new Hale Kalele multi-use building on May 5, 2022.
Hawaii Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald joined Gov. David Ige, Sen. Sharon Moriwaki, Honolulu City Councilmember Carol Fukunaga, representatives from the Kobayashi Group, and special guests on May 5 to celebrate the grand opening of Hale Kalele.
“When we broke ground here several years ago, the property had fallen into disrepair. Now, it is a place of hope and promise,” said Chief Justice Recktenwald.
Built on the site of the former Alder Street Juvenile Detention Center, the new mixed-use facility serves two vital community needs. The first is to provide probation services and shelter for at-risk youth to keep them out of the justice system and assist them in becoming productive citizens. The second is the creation of 200 much-needed affordable rental housing units in the urban core, which serve families earning no more than 60 percent of the area median income.
Mauka-facing view of the new Hale Kalele building from Piikoi Street, May 5, 2022.
The project is the result of a partnership between the Hawaii State Judiciary and the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC). This is the first such partnership between the Judicial and executive branches of government to maximize public benefit from scarce government-owned land.
“For HHFDC, it is about ensuring Honolulu’s urban core remains affordable and accessible to all. For us at the judiciary, it represents our commitment to prevention and diversion over incarceration when it comes to our at-risk youth,” said the Chief Justice.
He explained that when young people enter the justice system, inevitably there was trauma in their lives that led them to that point. The programs housed in the Hale Hilinai Juvenile Service Center will seek to address those causes so that children can move forward to a better future. To that end, Hale Hilinai will be home to Youth Treatment Courts that provide intensive treatment and assistance, and serve as a temporary but stable home for youth who need shelter and support services. Additionally, the center will provide space for programs such as tutoring and counseling.