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CVS Health announced Wednesday it will invest approximately $35 million in affordable housing developments in Kapolei and Lahaina.
This donation will go toward the construction of new affordable housing units, which has already begun, and the development of new early childhood education options for residents of the new community and surrounding areas.
“CVS is a trusted partner and trusted health care partner for all Hawaii residents,” Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke said at a press conference Wednesday. She added, “We are truly grateful for the investments CVS has made to ensure the people of Hawaii can meet their housing and child care needs, now and in the future.”
CVS Health’s latest investment brings the company’s total stake in affordable housing across Hawaii to $62.2 million, as the company recognizes the link between health and access to housing. said Scott Sutton, regional director for CVS Health.
“We know that providing housing for our communities and families here in Hawaii is critical and helps address chronic health conditions,” Sutton said. . “That’s why we are committed to addressing housing insecurity and other social disadvantages in our communities in Hawaii and across the country.”
CVS Health has invested $17.3 million with Kobayashi Group, Ahe Group and CREA LLC to build 169 affordable housing units at Parkway Village in Kapolei.
The Parkway Village project, half funded by CVS Health, will bring more than 400 rentals on 10 acres and focus on supporting local residents at 30% to 60% of area median income. . Most of the homes and rental properties being built will be two-, three-, and four-bedroom units, with homes equipped with energy-efficient appliances and green spaces, walking paths and benches throughout the community. It will be “high quality”. .
Residents will begin moving in in late 2024, and the project is expected to be completed by late summer 2025.
CVS Health also invested $17.5 million with Urban Housing Communities, Ikaika Ohana and Hunt Capital Partners to build 200 affordable housing rental units at Kai’aulu o Kukuia in Lahaina. Steve Colon, executive vice president of Hunt Capital Partners, said the community will target residents living on less than 60% of the area median income.
Construction on Caiaulu o Kukuia began in July 2022 and was 35% complete at the time of the August wildfires. Colon said none of the buildings were seriously damaged and the buildings were restored within two months. The homes will be handed over to 138 residents in December, with the rest expected to be handed over within the next four to five months.
The Kai’aulu o Kukuia project is the first permanent rental housing project to be built in Lahaina since the wildfires.
Another Hunt Capital Partners housing project in Lahaina, Kaiauru o Kupuohi, opened in December 2022 but was destroyed by wildfire. All residents were safely evacuated, but affordable housing is “a critical need that must be addressed immediately,” said Jessica Lee Bal Feliciano, area manager and property manager for Kaiaulu o Kupuohi. said.
“In our culture, it was unimaginable to endure such a catastrophic event,” Val Feliciano said. “Public-private partnerships, such as our partnership with CVS, are essential to further improve underserved communities and preserve our culture for generations to come.”
CVS Health also donated $450,000 to nonprofit organizations providing direct relief to Maui wildfire survivors, including the Hawaii Community Foundation, American Red Cross, and World Central Kitchen. The company also delivered daily medical supplies to three local shelters and operated a donation clinic that provided preventive care supplies to survivors.
But in addition to building new housing, both the Kapolei and Lahaina projects also include increasing residents’ access to early childhood education.
The Asset Limits, Income Limits, and Employment (ALICE) report highlights the need for early childhood education across the state, especially on Oahu’s west side, said Alana Kobayashi-Pakkala, manager and executive vice president of Kobayashi Group. Did. On the west side, “there is only one licensed preschool seat for every 48 preschoolers,” Kobayashi Pakkala said.
“Early education is part of the social determinants of long-term health and is a very important part of the overall solution to the crisis facing our families,” said Paccara Kobayashi. .
The Parkway Village project will bring an integrated preschool exclusively for residents to the community. In addition, his four public preschool classrooms will be developed for the broader Kapolei community through a partnership with Kamehameha Schools.
Kai’aulu O Kukuia in Lahaina has been selected as the first site in Hawaii to develop a preschool by Bezos Academy, a tuition-free Montessori preschool network. This kindergarten accommodates her 40 children and provides her three meals for each child who attends.
“This project is very, very exciting for us. We know how much it is needed in Lahaina,” Colon said. “We appreciate the cooperation and collaboration we have been able to receive from the various agencies involved in the rebuilding effort.”
The development of the preschool is in line with Luke’s Ready Keiki initiative, launched in January 2023, with the aim of establishing universal access to preschool across the state.
Luke said the combination of building affordable housing and prioritizing early childhood education is a shift from the previous way the state solved these issues, which were previously considered “silos.” said.
“It’s a paradigm shift for the state of Hawaii to recognize that working families don’t work in silos. They need all of this,” Luke said. “The important thing is it’s a partnership. When we talk about what the state of Hawai’i needs, it takes all of us.”
Residents of the new Parkway Village and Kai’aulu o Kukuia communities will have access to education and employment at two new Career Skills Labs established through CVS Health in partnership with the University of Hawai’i Maui and Hawai’i Job Corps. Opportunities will also be accessible and participants will receive training there. Pharmacy Technician Skills.
“We must work together to find innovative solutions to this problem and prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable. In doing so, we will build a more just society and We make sure everyone has the opportunity to grow,” Valfeliciano said.
