(BIVN) – 10,000 affordable housing units will be created on nine public housing properties throughout the state, officials say, through the Ka Lei Momi Redevelopment Project.

On Hawaiʻi island, Lanakila Homes in Hilo is named as one of the nine housing properties slated for the redevelopment project.

courtesy Hawaiʻi Public Housing Authority

On Monday, the Hawaiʻi Public Housing Authority announced Highridge Costa Development Co. will serve as Master Developer of Ka Lei Momi. Work will be done in multiple phases, creating housing units “for extremely low-income individuals, families, and workforce employees,” the State says.

“The Ka Lei Momi Project is the start of our journey to revitalize multiple communities within our public housing inventory,” said HPHA Executive Director Hakim Ouansafi. “Redevelopment presents an exceptional opportunity to close the gap between the need and supply of affordable housing in Hawaiʻi while also transforming our existing low-density public housing properties into modern, mixed-use, mixed-income, transit-oriented communities. The only option to serve the waitlists and give choices to our residents to remain near their ohana, is to build more housing especially in areas where there is concentration of poverty.”

The announcement followed recent bill signings by Governor Josh Green, M.D., that “bring relief to the housing shortage, support for individuals facing homelessness, and a supportive housing pilot program.”

“All of these pieces work together to really help alleviate the housing crisis,” said Governor Green in a news release. “We are grateful to the leadership of both the House and Senate for supporting our shared vision to meaningfully generate significant relief for our working families and our most vulnerable communities.”

“Governor Green has made a commitment to affordable housing in a bigger way than we’ve seen in any other state in the nation,” says Michael Costa, President and CEO, Highridge Costa. For Moe Mohanna, President of Highridge Costa Development Company, he says the goal is to deliver new housing communities that will change the lives of kamaʻāina. “At Highridge Costa, we sincerely believe everyone deserves a safe, attractive place to call home, and we’re humbled and honored to help make that dream attainable through our work as master developer for Ka Lei Momi in partnership with HPHA.”