Island Voices
Land sale part of rescue plan
By Cheryl Ka'uhane
President and CEO of YWCA of O'ahu
The year was 1912 and the YWCA of Oahu opened the first residence for young, working women, addressing community concerns over the lack of safe and affordable housing accommodations in Hawai'i. Today, Fernhurst stands as the only drug- and alcohol-free housing program on O'ahu open to all women despite their state of transition.
Women come to our housing program for many diverse reasons. Some are fleeing domestic violence or prostitution. Others are in recovery from substance abuse. Still others are students, working women and women visiting or relocating to Hawai'i.
To ensure the safety of our clients seeking a nurturing and secure environment, we purposely keep a low profile and do not choose to draw attention to our transitional housing program. The recent publicity surrounding the sale of a portion of our Fernhurst property pre-empts these efforts. Our need to ensure the survival of these services calls for clarification.
Six years ago, the YWCA took diligent steps to identify the best use of its facilities along with the necessary improvements to support the ongoing programs benefiting our clients. At that time, the plan determined that a total of $24.6 million was needed to maintain and improve these facilities.
Currently, we have successfully raised $8 million from the community to renovate our three facilities, and are continuing to pursue support for the remaining balance. The YWCA pledged $2.5 million of its own funds to drive these efforts.
The YWCA stands committed to providing women the safety, stability and support to obtain permanent housing and gain economic self-sufficiency while continuing to be a good community neighbor. The proceeds from the sale of a portion of our property are critical to completing the renovations at Fernhurst and providing the quality level of services necessary to meet the needs of the women we serve through our housing program.
Over the past few years, we have entered into discussions with several potential buyers for the property. Last year, the Hawai'i Housing and Community Development Corp., a private nonprofit developer of affordable rental units formed in 1993 by the Hawai'i Community Foundation and other corporate grantmakers, approached the YWCA expressing an interest in purchasing the land. The board of directors approved an agreement to sell a portion of the Fernhurst property at its February 2001 meeting, as part of its pledged funds, specifically to make the long-needed improvements to the Fernhurst building, which was built in 1952. The YWCA is only the seller of this property, not a partner "colluding" with the developer to build a housing project.
A few residents in the Makiki area are now voicing their concern about the development of affordable housing units in the neighborhood. Representatives of the YWCA, including board members, have met with Greg Shepherd and other community representatives to discuss their concerns centering around a lack of sufficient parking provided by the proposed 56-unit project.
The board and staff of the YWCA are quite disheartened by the attacks made on the legacy and goodwill of our organization. As a direct service provider on O'ahu for more than 100 years, we plan to continue our efforts in helping women transition from welfare to work, to regain their independence, and reclaim their places in our community at the YWCA's Fernhurst facility.
This can only occur by employing the resources that are at hand to accomplish that plan on a portion of the land that has been owned by the YWCA since 1951.
