Ka‘uluokaha‘i II-C in East Kapolei is the latest development from Gentry Homes Inc.’s (Gentry Homes) partnership with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL).
Ka‘uluokaha‘i’s full 404-acre parcel will bring 680 homes to DHHL beneficiaries once finished, part of an ongoing partnership between DHHL and Gentry Homes that began in 2008 with another East Kapolei project, Kanehili.
“Ka‘uluokaha‘i will be developed in multiple phases, with the first release of 115 homes being completed starting in early 2026,” says Quentin Machida, president and CEO of Gentry Homes.
“It’s a true pleasure to build homes for DHHL’s beneficiaries and Gentry Homes remains dedicated to delivering a product our customer will be proud to call ‘home’ for generations to come,” says Machida.
Efficient Affordability
Ka‘uluokaha‘i II-C offers four turnkey home options to DHHL beneficiaries, designed by WhiteSpace Architects in partnership with Gentry Homes.
The single-family home designs are available in one- and two-story options, featuring two to five bedrooms that range from 840 to 1,747 square feet.
Homes will include “energy-efficient features like central air conditioning with an 18.5 SEER2 (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) rating, Low-E (emissivity) dual-paned vinyl windows, solar water heating system with [an] 80- to 120-gallon tank, spray foam insulation, LED lighting package and an insulated rollup garage door with remotes,” says Machida.
Homes also have ADA-accessible options as well as optional upgrades including a covered lānai, designer flooring and stainless-steel refrigerators.
“All Ka‘uluokaha‘i II-C homes must be affordable for families,” says WhiteSpace Architects Principal Laurel Swan. “… Our architectural designs met that goal because we emphasized repeating details that bring a cost effectiveness to the construction process.”
Their design standards and details demonstrate cost effectiveness, long-term durability and low maintenance.
“For example, our material choices included concrete and Hardie Board, a fiber-cement siding that is resistant to weather and pests,” says Swan.
Swan says designs also emphasize interior flow and a “luxurious and homey” feel for families while remaining efficient and affordable. Subtle variations also lend to creating a cohesive community while allowing individuality.
“We considered it critical to offer enough choices in material and trim that there is exterior variation between homes,” says Swan.
“This is no ordinary project,” she says. “This is a community where thousands of people will put down roots and where generations of children will be raised.”
Financing Homes
Ka‘uluokaha‘i II-C is primarily made up of turnkey home lots, with only 12 vacant lots offered.
By offering more turnkey homes than vacant lots the communities fill faster, explains Nicole Lehua Kinilau-Cano, DHHL’s NAHASDA (Native American Housing Assistance and Self Determination Act) government relations program manager.
“The process to build on a vacant lot is very complex, time-consuming and difficult to navigate for the average person,” says Kinilau-Cano.
“The existing homestead at Kaʻuluokaha‘i II-B evidences that the turnkey homes are completed and families are in their homes,” says Kinilau-Cano, commenting that many of the vacant lots awarded in II-B remain unoccupied.
According to the 2020 DHHL Beneficiaries Study Applicant Report, 53.9 percent of residential applicants surveyed would choose a turnkey unit as their first choice in comparison to only 22.2 percent who would choose a vacant lot.
Ka‘uluokaha‘i II-C’s Turnkey home prices range from $498,000 to $691,000, which can be a steep price for many beneficiaries. Providing financial assistance to awardees allows homes to be filled more quickly.
“NAHASDA is assisting awardees … by financing those families whose income does not exceed 80-percent area median income (AMI) with a … loan requiring no down payment, no closing costs, an interest rate of 1 percent, financing up to appraisal amount and a subsidy may be available,” says Kinilau-Cano.
“For those families whose income is between 80 and 100 percent AMI, NAHASDA can provide down payment assistance for a loan that is financed with non-NAHASDA funds,” she says.
DHHL also offers direct loans as a last resort for families unable to secure loans from outside vendors, although the loan currently caps at 50 percent of the U.S. Federal Housing Administration maximum loan limit.
The 2020 DHHL report indicates that 92.7 percent of applicants intended to pass their awarded land or homes on to their children or relatives, potentially bringing stability to generations of Native Hawaiian families who may otherwise not be able to afford a single-family home.
“Gentry Homes’ collaboration with DHHL reflects our company’s commitment to responsible development that serves Hawaiʻi’s communities,” says Machida. “This partnership ensures that families who have waited generations for homeownership opportunities can finally establish roots in a community designed with their needs and cultural values in mind.”
