New affordable rental units ready for residents in Waikiki

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - A new affordable rental housing project in the heart of Waikiki is now ready to welcome tenants home.

Developers held a blessing for the three-story apartment building on Kanekapolei Street on Saturday.

The “Lilia Waikiki” is the first new, for-rent development in the area in decades.

The building was blessed Saturday as eager tenants got a look at their new homes.(Brookfield Properties)

The project has 53 fully renovated one and two bedroom units for rent. All are equipped with air conditioning, and are located just a couple blocks from the beach.

Rent ranges from $1,400 to about $2,000 a month.

Developers called the project a “new awakening” for a property that sat neglected for many years. New tenants say they are lucky to be able to move into a place so close to the hustle and bustle of town.

“This project, I think, was like such a gift because it’s something that really hasn’t happened in Waikiki in so long, and so to be affordable at a median income bracket, I think was such a blessing for me,” resident Bowe Souza said.

People earning less than 80 percent of the area median income can apply to live in the units.

Applications will be accepted on a first-come-first served basis.