Kaahue Family: The First Baby Born at Hale Wai

Desiree Kaahue was pregnant and living in a van with her six children on the beach when the city started cleaning up the beachfronts. She heard about Hale Wai Vista I through the community and came in and met with resident manager Jim Gesser to apply for a unit.

“I didn’t think I had a chance and wondered if I was wasting my time,” Desiree said, “but Jim said to ‘stick to it and don’t give up.’ About a month and a half later, I got a call from Jim saying that he hadn’t heard back from me and to come down and look at one of the units still available.”

Hale Wai Vista, the affordable rental housing development in Wai‘anae, is the result of a public/private collaboration between the 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 nonprofit Hawaii Housing Development Corporation. The rental units are targeted towards families with incomes from 30 percent to 60 percent of Honolulu County’s median income. In exchange for federal and state financing and tax credits, rents will remain affordable for over 60 years.

For families like Desiree’s, affordable housing is the difference between being on the street and bringing her new baby into a real home.

“When we went into the apartment, [Jim] gave my daughter the keys and said it was ours. My youngest daughter was born four days after moving in and is the first baby born at Hale Wai.”

To learn more about the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, please visit their website.

For more about HOME, Housing Credits, and Section 8 programs, see our advocacy page.