Dozens of families living in low-rise apartments next to Iolani School were told over the weekend they must move out by July 31 because the school plans to demolish five older buildings for a campus expansion. Tenants say the offered relocation support—one-time payments of up to $4,000 and help finding rentals—is far from enough to cover Honolulu’s high rents and the real costs of moving, leaving many worried about where they will go.
According to KITV, dozens of households along Date Street received the weekend notices with the July 31 deadline. The school told the station that more than 60% of the units are already empty as it gears up to demolish the five low-rise buildings, and that it is offering up to $4,000 and relocation help to those still living there. Several tenants told the station the notice came with little warning, and many are scrambling for any affordable option, with some already planning moves to the mainland.
ʻIolani has owned land bordering its campus for years and has long signaled that it would eventually develop the block between Date and Laau streets. Local archives show the school bought several acres on that block back in 2009 and suggested redevelopment would likely unfold over a long period, as reported by the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Neighbors say knowing this was coming someday has not made this week’s sudden timeline any easier to take.
Tenants say moves are upending lives
Jessica Ramos told KITV that her family has decided to relocate to Las Vegas rather than take on a much higher Honolulu rent. She compared her current $1,300 monthly payment to roughly $2,000 for similar two-bedroom units in town. Longtime resident Milton Yoshimoto, who has lived on Date Street for more than 50 years, told the station he has watched neighbors slowly pack up and leave and now worries about the long-term loss of the tight-knit community that grew in those buildings. For several households, the notices mark the end of long-held, relatively affordable housing arrangements.
Why relocation help may not be enough
The forced moves are landing in the middle of one of the state’s tightest rental markets, adding more pressure on families who already had few choices. Honolulu has seen this movie before, as redevelopment projects displace residents who then struggle to find anything comparable nearby. Reporting by Civil Beat on previous relocation efforts for public housing tenants on Oʻahu found that some families were assigned to units that were already occupied or far from jobs and schools, and that promised assistance sometimes fizzled out in practice. Tenant advocates say one-time checks, even at a few thousand dollars, rarely compensate for the loss of stability, especially for seniors and families with school-age kids…