The county Housing Agency and County Council yesterday clarified language that now gives the housing agency an unobstructed path to funds needed in selecting future public housing locations. It was clarified that the agency could draw funds from a certain
The county Housing Agency and County Council yesterday clarified language that now gives the housing agency an unobstructed path to funds needed in selecting future public housing locations.
It was clarified that the agency could draw funds from a certain area of its budget to be used for consultation in selecting those locations.
The Kaua‘i County Housing Agency provides affordable housing and rental assistance for low-income households and the elderly.
The agency’s newly appointed Housing Director, Ken Rainforth, plans to dedicate much of his time toward public housing projects such as the expansion of Pa‘anau Village, a county-owned rental complex in Koloa; a senior housing project in Kapa‘a; and a large project in ‘Ele‘ele that will add numerous affordable homes to Kaua‘i’s supply.
In order to move forward on these projects and future proposals, Rainforth determined his agency needed consultants to assist in determining whether or not future sites for the construction of public housing were viable. Even more so with some of the lands given to the county by the state; certain parcels were eliminated immediately because they were quickly determined to be unusable, but a handful of state parcels remain which require further investigation. Some of the state-provided lands include a parcel near Mahelona Hospital, a parcel on Kaapuni Road in Kapa‘a and a location in Kekaha.
Rainforth needed to pull funds for the consulting research, but he was unclear if he could pull the money from a general obligation bonds fund made available to his agency.
At yesterday’s County Council meeting, Rainforth received clarification and approval to use funds from the bond fund for his research and pre-development expenses in selecting proposed low-income housing sites. The agency also received approval to file two resolutions, which list the allotment of funds awarded in grants for various county housing and homeless aid programs, with the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Rainforth’s request for a funds dispersal from a $2 million line item in the bond fund awarded for affordable housing, for his project feasibility research to be performed by consultants, elicited some discussion among the council. Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho, prompted by Bill “Kaipo” Asing and Mel Rapozo, stopped the discussion to state there was confusion about the agenda item raised by Rainforth.
JoAnn Yukimura had initiated the discussion when she asked what criteria of feasibility Rainforth would be using in his agency’s land acquisition selection; specifically, what data would Rainforth seek out from consultants to make his judgement to move forward with projects. Rainforth said his criteria included topography, drainage, soil surveys and off-site infrastructure capacity.
“If a site is too expensive, we need to know so that we can move to the next site,” Rainforth said.
Rainforth indicated that his agency would use the consultants’ numbers and costs and take them into consideration with the agency’s own ideas.
Yukimura continued her line of questioning about feasibility criteria, asking if Rainforth would include planning to meet the needs of future tenants such as proximity to workplaces, public transportation and cost of living.
After confirmation from Rainforth that this planning would occur, and a statement from Asing that the housing agency was working with the Planning Department, Rapozo halted the discussion to make sure the council was on the same page with what was being presented as an agenda item.
Carvalho said that it would be ludicrous for the council to think the money would only be used for land purchase and that the council should limit the discussion.
Jay Furfaro said that he had no problem with earmarking $250,000 — an average of Rainforth’s earlier ball-park suggestion that consultant fees might require $100,000 to $200,000 — specifically for feasibility projects, whereby Yukimura insisted if money is used for feasibility, council should know how the feasibility is accomplished.
Carvalho objected. “There’s no need to justify 20 or 30 criteria to the council,” said Carvalho. “ … We are not an administrative body.”
Carvalho said that the feasibility criteria is an administrative function of the housing agency and any effort to require Rainforth to present his criteria before each project would only prolong already too-long council meetings.
“Shouldn’t we expect that of our housing agency?” Carvalho asked, adding that the department received a 48 percent pay increase.
The bottom line was eventually agreed upon and a motion to approve Rainforth’s partial use of the $2 million for consultation costs was approved by all members.
• Ellen Edmands, staff writer, can be reached at eedmands@kauaipubco.com
