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State of the City address: Honolulu mayor discusses housing, Ocean Safety and more
State of the City address: Honolulu mayor discusses housing, Ocean Safety and more

Yahoo

time19-03-2025

  • Business
  • Yahoo

State of the City address: Honolulu mayor discusses housing, Ocean Safety and more

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi took the stage at the Mission memorial Auditorium shortly after 6 p.m. on March 18 to deliver his State of the City address, highlighting his vision for Honolulu's future, including accessible housing, transportation and more. Blangiardi kicked off his speech by highlighting outmigration from the islands, calling the migration 'unprecedented' and linking it to the high cost of living in Hawaiʻi. Honolulu Fire Department celebrates 117th graduating recruit class The mayor highlighted the creation of the Department of Housing and Land Management, marking the first time in almost 30 years that Honolulu has a fully-staffed housing department. The new department will be led by current executive director of the Office of Housing, Kevin Auger, who will become the new department's director. Cat Taschner will serve as the new department's deputy director. 'For most of the past year, Kevin, Cat and their teams have already been working as a single unit, completely rethinking our housing strategy,' Blangiardi said. 'Together, they have reestablished a housing platform at the city that is geared toward execution rather than policy, toward development rather than deliberation and toward results rather than rhetoric.'The new housing plan is composed of two key components according to Blangiardi, with the first component being transforming underutilized city properties into affordable housing projects. Blangiardi says that at least 10 properties around Honolulu have already been identified as underutilized, as they have been 'sitting around for years, with no plan or strategy.' The transition of these 10 properties will bring nearly 2,000 new affordable housing units to the island according to the mayor. The second key component to the new plan involves financing the development, with the city's housing team looking at using multi-family taxable revenue bonds to help. Bill to develop Kakaʻako dies in State Senate Blangiardi also highlighted offering more leasing options, making it easier for government services and nonprofits to lease city properties to help serve residents. 'We cannot call housing our top priority and then insist on the status quo when it comes to our leasing rules,' Blangiardi said. 'Making smart revisions to Chapter 38 will have a wider impact than just housing.' The mayor also noted the city's acquisition of Iwilei Center, which will be turned into a mixed-use community with at least 2,000 new additional units, all geared toward affordable living. 'With Iwilei Center, we are making good on our promise to build an equitable community where all residents, regardless of income, have the same opportunities to live, work, shop, learn and play as everyone else,' he said. 'Chance at new beginnings,' Iwilei kauhale community blessed While the transformation of Iwilei Center will take years, the mayor mentioned maximizing resources by having the center serve as a homeless shelter in the meantime, to help ease the pain of homelessness on Oʻahu communities. Blangiardi also discussed expanding Skyline into Kalihi, and eventually into Downtown Honolulu and Waikiki by 2031. The second segment of Skyline operations from Aloha Stadium to Middle Street will open in October of this year. In addition to housing and transportation, Blangiardi also discussed expansion of Ocean Safety procedures, particularly on the North Shore. Audit reveals Honolulu rail system falls short of ridership goals 'We are announcing tonight our intent to purchase a highly-coveted piece of land across the street from Shark's Cove for the creation of a world-class first responder hub,' Blangiardi said. 'These plans are subject to a negotiated sale price with the current landowner, but will be transformative for our North Shore communities.' According to the mayor, the new hub will serve as a base of operations for lifeguards on the North Shore, while also featuring a brand new ambulance station aimed at reducing emergency response times. While on the topic of first responder accessibility, Blangiardi said that EMS needs to focus specifically on medical response to remain efficient, which is one of the reasons Ocean Safety is slated to become its own agency. Honolulu's new Ocean Safety Department plans to bring major upgrades to lifeguard services 'We were confident that we could run EMS more efficiently. In that effort, it became quite apparent that EMS needed to focus specifically on medical response, and that Ocean Safety had earned the right to be its own first responder agency,' Blangiardi said. 'However, I want to be clear, in executing our vision, I strongly support Dr. Jim Ireland as the director of Emergency Services.' The mayor also went on to address concerns regarding federal funding, saying that Honolulu's major programs have avoided federal cuts for now. 'I want to be clear: as of today, none of our major programs have been impacted by federal cuts, including funding from the [Federal Transit Administration] for our rail project,' he said. In light of political and economic uncertainty, Blangiardi ended his address with a message of perseverance. 'For the first time in years, our people of hope. They believe in this place for what it is, and for what it can be,' Blangiardi said. 'We believe in it too, and we promise to work until the last minute of our last day to deliver.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

State of the City address: Honolulu mayor discusses housing, Ocean Safety and more
State of the City address: Honolulu mayor discusses housing, Ocean Safety and more

Yahoo

time19-03-2025

  • Business
  • Yahoo

State of the City address: Honolulu mayor discusses housing, Ocean Safety and more

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi took the stage at the Mission memorial Auditorium shortly after 6 p.m. on March 18 to deliver his State of the City address, highlighting his vision for Honolulu's future, including accessible housing, transportation and more. Blangiardi kicked off his speech by highlighting outmigration from the islands, calling the migration 'unprecedented' and linking it to the high cost of living in Hawaiʻi. Honolulu Fire Department celebrates 117th graduating recruit class The mayor highlighted the creation of the Department of Housing and Land Management, marking the first time in almost 30 years that Honolulu has a fully-staffed housing department. The new department will be led by current executive director of the Office of Housing, Kevin Auger, who will become the new department's director. Cat Taschner will serve as the new department's deputy director. 'For most of the past year, Kevin, Cat and their teams have already been working as a single unit, completely rethinking our housing strategy,' Blangiardi said. 'Together, they have reestablished a housing platform at the city that is geared toward execution rather than policy, toward development rather than deliberation and toward results rather than rhetoric.'The new housing plan is composed of two key components according to Blangiardi, with the first component being transforming underutilized city properties into affordable housing projects. Blangiardi says that at least 10 properties around Honolulu have already been identified as underutilized, as they have been 'sitting around for years, with no plan or strategy.' The transition of these 10 properties will bring nearly 2,000 new affordable housing units to the island according to the mayor. The second key component to the new plan involves financing the development, with the city's housing team looking at using multi-family taxable revenue bonds to help. Bill to develop Kakaʻako dies in State Senate Blangiardi also highlighted offering more leasing options, making it easier for government services and nonprofits to lease city properties to help serve residents. 'We cannot call housing our top priority and then insist on the status quo when it comes to our leasing rules,' Blangiardi said. 'Making smart revisions to Chapter 38 will have a wider impact than just housing.' The mayor also noted the city's acquisition of Iwilei Center, which will be turned into a mixed-use community with at least 2,000 new additional units, all geared toward affordable living. 'With Iwilei Center, we are making good on our promise to build an equitable community where all residents, regardless of income, have the same opportunities to live, work, shop, learn and play as everyone else,' he said. 'Chance at new beginnings,' Iwilei kauhale community blessed While the transformation of Iwilei Center will take years, the mayor mentioned maximizing resources by having the center serve as a homeless shelter in the meantime, to help ease the pain of homelessness on Oʻahu communities. Blangiardi also discussed expanding Skyline into Kalihi, and eventually into Downtown Honolulu and Waikiki by 2031. The second segment of Skyline operations from Aloha Stadium to Middle Street will open in October of this year. In addition to housing and transportation, Blangiardi also discussed expansion of Ocean Safety procedures, particularly on the North Shore. Audit reveals Honolulu rail system falls short of ridership goals 'We are announcing tonight our intent to purchase a highly-coveted piece of land across the street from Shark's Cove for the creation of a world-class first responder hub,' Blangiardi said. 'These plans are subject to a negotiated sale price with the current landowner, but will be transformative for our North Shore communities.' According to the mayor, the new hub will serve as a base of operations for lifeguards on the North Shore, while also featuring a brand new ambulance station aimed at reducing emergency response times. While on the topic of first responder accessibility, Blangiardi said that EMS needs to focus specifically on medical response to remain efficient, which is one of the reasons Ocean Safety is slated to become its own agency. Honolulu's new Ocean Safety Department plans to bring major upgrades to lifeguard services 'We were confident that we could run EMS more efficiently. In that effort, it became quite apparent that EMS needed to focus specifically on medical response, and that Ocean Safety had earned the right to be its own first responder agency,' Blangiardi said. 'However, I want to be clear, in executing our vision, I strongly support Dr. Jim Ireland as the director of Emergency Services.' The mayor also went on to address concerns regarding federal funding, saying that Honolulu's major programs have avoided federal cuts for now. 'I want to be clear: as of today, none of our major programs have been impacted by federal cuts, including funding from the [Federal Transit Administration] for our rail project,' he said. In light of political and economic uncertainty, Blangiardi ended his address with a message of perseverance. 'For the first time in years, our people of hope. They believe in this place for what it is, and for what it can be,' Blangiardi said. 'We believe in it too, and we promise to work until the last minute of our last day to deliver.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Honolulu's Strategic Housing Plan pinpoints six key initiatives
Honolulu's Strategic Housing Plan pinpoints six key initiatives

Yahoo

time06-02-2025

  • Business
  • Yahoo

Honolulu's Strategic Housing Plan pinpoints six key initiatives

HONOLULU (KHON2) — 'Affordable housing is a top priority for our administration.' The City released its 2025-2028 Strategic Housing Plan, which looks to tackle affordable housing for all income levels across plan looks to expand development on public land and reorganize how it governs building initiatives. Officials said partnering with developers, maximizing building near transit, tapping into new financing and streamlining oversight into one department are all on the table. Honolulu's newest affordable housing site breaks ground in Punchbowl 'We owe it to our teachers, police officers, flight attendants, and other working professionals to ensure that Honolulu remains a place where they can live, work and thrive,' said Mayor Rick Blangiardi. 'This plan is a crucial step in addressing the rising cost of living and we are committed to building housing where it's most needed.' The City looks to build 'high-density, mixed-use communities' along the 20-mile-long Skyline to reduce commute times, lower transportation costs and support Honolulu's sustainability goals. 'Concentrating growth in the Primary Urban Center, TOD corridors helps preserve rural areas while integrating housing, offices, retail, education and government services. Officials believe the Kūwili Station area presents an 'opportunity for an underserved community' and would be built off of the Downtown Neighborhood TOD Plan. This plan would bring 'thousands of housing units' and would be backed by $2.7 million in federal and state funding. 'The City is leveraging underutilized public lands and streamlining procurement processes to expedite partnerships with local developers.' The initiative was inspired by the success of Parkway Village at Kapolei, which features 401 housing units and two on-site preschools. Due to the limited availability of funding sources for affordable housing, the City would venture out and explore new financing strategies to 'expand resources and create additional opportunities for housing development.' Officials look to group all housing programs under the proposed Department of Housing and Land Management. Centralizing all housing projects would improve efficiency, accelerate project delivery and enhance the coordination of housing initiatives. All housing programs and policies will undergo a comprehensive review to narrow in on which strategies are working and which ones are not. City officials will partner with the University of Hawaii's Economic Research Organization to determine the best ways to optimize land use, increase homeownership opportunities and enhance predictability. Check out more news from around Hawaii 'This plan is all about making City lands available, breaking down barriers, and getting much-needed housing built quickly and efficiently. By prioritizing implementation and collaboration, we're ensuring that Honolulu's working families have access to the homes they need and deserve,' explained Kevin D. Auger, Executive Director of the Office of Housing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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