Mililani Workforce Housing Now in Design and Entitlement Stage
Photo: WRNS Studio
It has often been said beautiful things take time.
Developing school facilities is like planting a seed and waiting for it to grow into big tree. It doesn’t happen overnight, but before you know it, everyone is in awe by trees’s beauty, resting in the shade of its branches, and enjoying the abundance of fruits.
New Milestone
The workforce housing for Hawai‘i Department of Education teachers and staff on the campus of Mililani High School, which was publicly announced in 2024, recently reached a new milestone: the completion of a final environmental assessment. This clears the way for nonprofit developer Pacific Housing Assistance Corporation, a partner of the Hawai‘i School Facilities Authority (SFA) to proceed with design and financing.
Photo: WRNS Studio
State Support Received to Date
The new teacher workforce rental housing community conveniently located across Town Center of Mililani shopping center is the first of teacher workforce housing project in the state. The project has so far received a $2 million appropriation from the legislature to assist with pre-development costs.
Next Steps
The next step will be to apply for permits, which can be a lengthy process. Construction is expected to begin in late 2027 with teachers being able to start occupying the units in 2030. The affordable units are expected to give new teachers starting their career a boost to allow them to continue to remain in the profession they are passionate about—teaching.
Based on research and consultation with a cultural practitioner, Pacific Housing Assistance Corporation named the new housing community Kūmelewai Hale to honor the history of the area and the legacy of education it represents.
Kūmelewai was the birthplace of John Papa ʻIʻi, one of Mililani’s most important historical figures. Papa ʻIʻi was an educator, statesman, judge, and caretaker to aliʻi, and later served as superintendent of Oʻahu Schools.
Kūmelewai means “like singing water,” symbolizing life, abundance, and balance. These values reflect the life and work of John Papa ʻIʻi, who helped guide Hawaiʻi through periods of change while remaining grounded in Hawaiian knowledge, language, and education. That balance continues to resonate through his legacy of public service and learning, which teachers carry today.
As part of an inaugural P3 Summit held in late May, Cheri Nakamura, SFA’s policy and program officer, gave a presentation that offered valuable insights and lessons learned based on SFA’s experience in a public-private partnership.
The summit, sponsored by the Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT) and Hawai‘i Business magazine, attracted more than 100 attendees at the event held at Kapi‘olani Community College.
SFA currently is partnering with Pacific Housing Assistance Corporation to build a new affordable workforce housing community for Hawai‘i Department of Education teachers and staff.
Public-private partnerships (P3s) may not be new to Hawai‘i state government, but they are new for SFA and Cheri willingly shared what she has learned to help other state agencies and other private-sector partners.
