Phased closure of Waianae homeless village moves forward as residents relocate

News admin July 21, 2026 0 Comments

Phased closure of Waianae homeless village moves forward as residents relocate

WAIʻANAE (HawaiiNewsNow) – The phased closure of Hawaii’s longest running homeless village is moving forward.

For months, residents of Puʻuhonua O Waiʻanae have been relocating from the Waiʻanae Small Boat Harbor to a new, mauka area, called Farm Village, in Waiʻanae Valley.

Puʻuhonua O Waiʻanae, a self-governed village located adjacent to the Waiʻanae Small Boat Harbor, worked to acquire more than $10 million in donations to purchase its own land, install infrastructure and build homes.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources said 80 residents have been moved to the new 20-acre site so far, and 60 more are expected to relocate by the end of the month.

Board of Land and Natural Resources chair Ryan Kanakaʻole said the village’s council met with residents neighboring Farm Village in 2020.

“They promised not to create what they called a ‘shantytown’ on the newly acquired property. They promised that everyone would move into finished housing units,” he said.

Thirty more will remain at the harbor until their housing units arrive and are constructed, with anticipated completion by mid-October, officials said.

Once the area near the harbor is cleared, the state will remove invasive, non-native vegetation and work to restore the native habitat, including the site’s anchialine pools, which are home to two shrimp species native to Hawaiʻi.

DLNR’s Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) is working with Waiʻanae High School and community partners to develop long-term stewardship, restoration and educational conservation opportunities.