HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A seven-month mangrove cleanup near Keʻehi Lagoon has improved safety around Kahauiki Village and sparked talk of expanding similar communities on Oʻahu.

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Video from March showed thick mangroves lining the stream near Keʻehi Lagoon, concealing dozens of structures and floating shelters. By May, crews had cleared the area, removing what some residents described as a longstanding safety concern.

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Residents say safety concerns have eased

Camie Sandridge, who has lived at Kahauiki Village for six years after overcoming addiction and homelessness, said the mangroves posed dangers for residents and children.

“My son wandered off into the mangroves one day, and we couldn’t find him,” Sandridge said. “I had to go rescue my son from deep within the mangroves.”

She said her son emerged with cuts on his arms after the incident.

Sandridge said the completed project has significantly improved conditions for the hundreds of people who live in the village.

“It’s a big relief,” she said. “We also have a beautiful view of the ocean now.”

She added that the area has become safer and more sanitary, with fewer people moving through the former mangrove thickets and fewer instances of village resources, including water, being used by unauthorized individuals.

The project took about seven months to complete. City and County Department of Community Services Director Anton Krucky said weather and equipment availability contributed to delays.

“We had to take a stop because of the Kona low,” Krucky said. “And because all the equipment that it took to do this was being used in other places.”

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More kauhale communities under consideration

Krucky said the project also highlights the potential for the kauhale model to be replicated in other communities addressing homelessness.

One such project, Ke Kauhale ʻo Luhia in Waimānalo, became the 26th site under the state’s kauhale initiative.

Krucky said additional communities are already being considered, including a proposed Hawaiian village that would incorporate Native Hawaiian values into its approach to healing and support services.

“I want to build a Hawaiian village that will use Hawaiian values as part of the healing process,” Krucky said.

He said two other villages under consideration would be located in Waiʻanae and managed by churches.

City officials said they remain committed to maintaining the cleared area in the years ahead.

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