It's been five long years, but hundreds of residents of Poamoho Camp in Wahiawä will soon realize their dream of owning their homes.

The first of more than 66 plantation-era homes will be sold next week to former Del Monte Fresh Produce workers, who once faced eviction from the rustic, Central O'ahu company town.

"This is the perfect Christmas gift for everybody," said Vaeleti Tyrell, who plans to buy the four-bedroom plantation home that he's lived in more than 48 years.

"Now everyone feels better because they're going to own their own home."

One of the last of the plantation-era housing developments, Poamoho was slated for demolition in 2004 after Del Monte opted not to renew its lease on 2,100 acres of pineapple land.

The move foreshadowed the shutdown of Del Monte's pineapple operations four years later.

Thanks to the efforts of state lawmakers such as Rep. Marcus Oshiro and Sen. Bobby Bunda and the city administration of Mayor Mufi Hannemann, camp residents were able to stave off eviction.

Developer Peter Savio is now offering the former rental units back to residents on a fee-simple basis for an average price of about $120,000 per home, or roughly half the appraised value.

Buyers will pay anywhere from $550 to $1,000 in monthly mortgage payments for their homes, which largely range from 600 to 900 square feet in size, Savio said. The mortgage payments are "pretty much comparable" to monthly rents previously charged by Del Monte, he said.

According to Savio, all but two of the units are now under sales contract to longtime tenants and the first of the sales is expected to close next week.

Although most of the prospective buyers are retired pineapple workers on fixed incomes, lender First Hawaiian Bank was willing to be flexible, Savio said.

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union has also offered to provide grants to help buyers who may meet loan requirements, Savio said.

About 50 of the buyers have already qualified for home loans, he said.

"We're trying to preserve the historic aspect of the camp. It's one of the few that haven't changed," he said.

Savio noted that the project took some time to come to market because of city zoning rules that allow such camp housing to exist on agriculturally zoned land so long as farming continues on the property.

The shutdown of Del Monte's pineapple operations last year created some hurdles, but city officials were willing to find ways to get around the problem, Savio said.

"This is one of those projects that I don't think anyone opposed," he said.