(BIVN) – Construction of the Kukuiola Emergency Shelter and Assessment Center is underway in Kona.

Hawaiʻi County officials on Thursday marked the milestone in the years-long project that is part of the effort to address homelessness in West Hawaiʻi. 

The project – located off Kealakehe Parkway and south of the West Hawai‘i Civic Center – will include 16 emergency shelter units, a manager’s unit, a 2,000-square-foot assessment center, community restroom facilities with showers, a 1,400-square-foot community center, and a shared kitchen. The project will include office space for case management services, and open areas for community-building activities. There will also be overnight parking for unsheltered individuals sleeping in vehicles. 

3D rendering of Kukuiola Phase 1-2, courtesy County of Hawaiʻi

From a Hawaiʻi County news release:

“Today is about bringing hope, care, and aloha to our people,” said Mayor Kimo Alameda. “These facilities will give families and individuals a safe place to rest, get help, and start rebuilding their lives.”

Kukuiola, which means “light of life,” is designed to serve as a model for future housing and service sites across the island. The project integrates emergency shelter with access to wraparound services such as case management, behavioral health support, hygiene facilities, and pathways to permanent housing.

“Kukuiola will be a place of safety, healing, and opportunity for our unsheltered residents,” said County Housing Administrator Kehaulani Costa. “We are grateful for the partnerships that brought us to this moment, and we remain committed to building with care, compassion, and community.”

Elected officials gather for the Kukuiola milestone (courtesy County of Hawaiʻi)

Located off Kealakehe Parkway and south of the West Hawai‘i Civic Center, the State-owned site is under Executive Order to the Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corporation and leased to the County. Crews completed mass grading of the site and the access road, Alapono Place, in late 2024.

Phase 2 will add 50 permanent housing units with support services, and phase 3, currently in the master planning stage, is envisioned as multi-family housing, supported by a recent $400,000 State Transit-Oriented Development Program grant.

Construction of Kukuiola Emergency Shelter and Assessment Center is expected to take about 18 months. The work is supported by a $10 million federal grant secured by U.S. Sens. Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono.

Heartwood Pacific LLC submitted the lowest qualified bid of $13.99 million to construct the facility.

Looking forward, the County Office of Housing and Community Development will continue to connect with the community throughout the planning and development process to ensure that local input shapes the facility’s operations upon its opening, which is anticipated in 2027.