Kukuiola Emergency Shelter and Assessment Center
Project Summary
The Kukuiola Emergency Shelter and Assessment Center is a new County of Hawaiʻi campus being developed to expand access to emergency shelter, supportive services, and pathways to permanent housing for individuals experiencing homelessness in Kailua-Kona and the greater North Kona region.
Located off Kealakehe Parkway near the West Hawaiʻi Civic Center, the campus is designed to bring multiple services and resources together in one location. The project will include 16 emergency shelter units for individuals and couples without children; an approximately 2,000-square-foot assessment center; a 1,400-square-foot community center with shared kitchen space; community restrooms and showers; offices for case management and other on-site service providers; a manager's unit; and outdoor space for community-building activities.
The campus will also include overnight safe parking for unsheltered individuals living in their vehicles, creating another low-barrier option for people seeking safety, stability, and connections to services.
The County envisions Kukuiola as a collaborative, multi-agency resource hub where participants can access shelter and work directly with service providers to address immediate needs, connect with benefits and other resources, and take steps toward permanent or affordable housing.
The project is located on State land under an Executive Order to the Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corporation and leased to the County of Hawaiʻi.
Project Status
Construction is well underway, with the Kukuiola campus continuing to take shape in Kailua-Kona. Following completion of mass grading and construction of the new Alapono Place access road, the project moved into vertical construction in 2025. Heartwood Pacific LLC was selected through a competitive process to construct the first phase, with construction officially beginning following a site blessing and groundbreaking ceremony in September 2025.
Today, the project structures are fully vertical, and roofing installation is nearing completion as crews continue exterior work across the campus. Construction is beginning to transition into interior systems and finish work as the project moves closer to its anticipated 2027 opening.
As construction advances, the County is also taking the next step toward opening the facility: identifying an experienced organization to operate the campus.
In September 2026, the County of Hawaiʻi Office of Housing and Community Development issued a Request for Proposals seeking an experienced organization to lease, operate, maintain, and manage the Kukuiola campus. The selected operator will oversee the emergency shelter, overnight safe parking, supportive services, and the site's One-Stop Resource Center, helping create a coordinated, low-barrier system of support for people experiencing homelessness.
The County will continue construction, operational planning, and community engagement as Kukuiola moves toward opening its doors in 2027.
View the Kukuiola Emergency Shelter and Assessment Center Management and Operation RFP.
Funding Sources
This work is supported in part by a $10 million in federal Community Planning and Development grant secured by U.S. Senators Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz.