On Oahu’s Westside, a homegrown effort to shelter kūpuna experiencing homelessness is running straight into neighborhood resistance.
The Waiʻanae Moku Kūpuna Council is pushing to build a small kūpuna kauhale, a cluster of tiny homes for elderly people experiencing homelessness, on a state-owned parcel along Farrington Highway in Nānākuli. Supporters say the project would keep kūpuna close to family and local services. Neighborhood leaders and some elected officials counter that the Westside already hosts too many homeless programs and warn a new site could pull even more people to the coast.
What the kūpuna council is proposing
The Waiʻanae Moku Kūpuna Council, formed in 2021 to seek local solutions to Westside problems, has zeroed in on a state-owned Farrington Highway parcel as its top choice and recently presented a draft plan. That plan outlines about $2.3 million to house roughly 25 people, takes cues from the Waimānalo kauhale model, and suggests private builders and local fundraising could cover much of the cost. The project, and the growing debate around it, are detailed in reporting by Honolulu Civil Beat.
Numbers underline the need and the tension
The 2024 Point-in-Time count recorded 783 people living unsheltered along the Waiʻanae Coast and found that roughly 45% of that population identified as Native Hawaiian, figures supporters point to in arguing for a local, culturally grounded response. According to Partners In Care Oʻahu, the Waiʻanae Coast had the largest concentration of unsheltered people on Oʻahu in that survey.
Neighbors and elected leaders push back
Neighborhood leaders have pushed back, saying the coast already absorbs a disproportionate share of services. The Nānākuli-Māʻili Neighborhood Board told the council it opposed another homeless project, and Honolulu Councilmember Andria Tupola and state Rep. Darius Kila have urged caution, arguing new services can act as magnets, as documented by Honolulu Civil Beat.
State role, leadership change and the next steps
The kauhale model is a central piece of Gov. Josh Green’s homelessness strategy, and the administration maintains a running list of operational projects as it scales the program statewide. State pages list current kauhale projects and the administration’s rollout plans, while leadership turnover, including John Mizuno stepping aside in February 2025 and Jun Yang stepping into statewide duties, has left some local efforts in a holding pattern. See the state’s project list and reporting from the governor’s office and Spectrum News for background.
Supporters point to community-built models
Proponents say community-led projects show a path forward. Aunty Blanche McMillan’s Hui Mahi‘ai ʻĀina in Waimānalo has developed a kauhale-style community that shelters dozens of people, and Puʻuhonua O Waiʻanae has documented fundraising and land purchases to build a village of its own. See Hui Mahi‘ai ʻĀina and Puʻuhonua O Waiʻanae for examples of locally organized efforts…