Kalihi housing shift: New mixed-income towers replace aging Mayor Wright complex

The first phase of the Mayor Wright Homes redevelopment will cost $333 million. State officials and community leaders broke ground on the project on Thursday. The site covers 15 acres in the Kalihi-Palama neighborhood near downtown Honolulu. The Hawai‘i Public Housing Authority and developer Highridge Costa are leading the effort to replace the existing complex, which is nearly 75 years old.

The new development is designed to hold seven times as many homes as the current structure. Plans call for more than 2,400 rental units, ranging from studios to five-bedroom apartments. The project also includes condominiums for sale and commercial space across 10 towers. Organizers stated the new complex will serve a mixed-income population rather than limiting residency to very low-income households.

More than half of the new units will be reserved for tenants earning less than 80% of the area median income. Later phases will extend eligibility to households earning up to 100% of that figure, which equals approximately $150,000 annually for a family of four. Current residents displaced by construction are being relocated and will have priority to return once their units are ready.

Hakim Ouansafi, executive director of the housing authority, described the event as a shift in how the state approaches housing. "It's not simply about breaking ground. It is about breaking barriers," he said. Ouansafi added that the state cannot solve future housing problems by relying on past methods. He emphasized that public housing should not mean second-class living conditions.

Gov. Josh Green called the project central to the state's housing strategy. "Housing provides health," Green said, noting that stable housing allows residents to focus on education and food security. Moe Mohanna, president of Highridge Costa Development Company, praised the state for undertaking an initiative of this scale. "What we are building here is a legacy," Mohanna said.

The full redevelopment is expected to take 15 years to complete. The first building is scheduled to open in 2029. The design includes four acres of public parks and recreational space. The complex will be located within walking distance of the planned Iwilei rail station. Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi linked the project to the arrival of the Skyline rail line, calling the combination historic for affordable housing. The state's 2017 estimate for the entire project was $1.3 billion.