Posted at 11:15 a.m., Friday, May 18, 2001

Kukui Gardens housing rent hike rejected

Advertiser Staff

Federal housing officials have rejected a proposed rent increase at the Kukui Gardens subsidized housing complex, but its managers hope to win approval for an alternative that would also hike rents.

Kukui Gardens facilities manager Allen Lau said a new proposal could be worked out soon with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

"We're still doing a review with HUD," he said. "We're sitting down with HUD and trying to see how we can make adjustments."

He said a rent increase was necessary to make electrical repairs at the complex, bounded by Liliha, Beretania and A'ala streets and Vineyard Boulevard. But tenants, many on fixed incomes, resisted the initial proposal, which would have raised rents by up to 37 percent.