Hale Haukani opens, new housing facility for UH Mānoa community

Hale Haukani

Officials pose for photo at Hale Haukani.

Hale Haukani, a $170-million student housing complex on the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa campus, officially opened on Monday, August 18, with a blessing ceremony attended by UH President Wendy Hensel, Gov. Josh Green, Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke and other UH officials and community partners. Developed through a public-private partnership (P3), the project was built with minimal state funding and tuition revenue.

Located on the mauka (mountain) side of Dole Street between the East-West Center and Mānoa Stream, Hale Haukani (translation below) consists of two residential towers, 18 and 12 stories, with 316 units and 558 beds in studio, two-, three- and four-bedroom layouts. The facility also includes a new childcare center, retail space, study rooms, bike storage, laundry facilities and outdoor amenity decks. After the opening ceremony, residents began moving into the new facility, which is intended primarily for graduate students and junior faculty, followed by undergraduate students. 

“This is more than just a housing project, it’s an investment in our community and for the benefit of our students and faculty,” said UH President Wendy Hensel. “Hale Haukani will provide the students and faculty who live there with a home essentially on campus with amenities that support their academic success and personal well-being. Hale Haukani demonstrates our commitment to having modern facilities available to our students through innovative partnerships that minimize costs for taxpayers, students and their families.”

UH’s Second Public Private Partnership

Hale Haukani is UH’s second P3 student housing project, following the 2023 opening of the Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center. Privately owned and financed by the Collegiate Housing Foundation (CHF) with the loan proceeds from tax-exempt bonds issued on behalf of CHF, the project was developed and constructed by Greystar Development Services, LLC and Swinerton Builders on land leased to CHF by UH. The student housing complex will be privately operated for CHF by a subsidiary of Greystar. CHF will use the rental income from the residents of the project to repay the bonds along with an annual contribution of $2 million from UH to subsidize rents so that they remain below the market rate for comparable units. With the opening of the facility, UH Mānoa students will now have more than 4,000 beds available to its students on or adjacent to campus, the most in the university’s history.  

“This is a milestone for UH Mānoa, not only because it addresses a longstanding housing shortage,” said UH Mānoa Interim Provost Vassilis Syrmos. “Hale Haukani strengthens our ability to recruit and retain top graduate students who contribute to the cutting-edge research and teaching that make UH Mānoa one of the best universities in the world. We will be looking to use this model for future P3 developments to address our older student housing facilities.”

UH recently announced its third public-private partnership (P3) student housing project, a redevelopment of the Hale Kāwili Apartments adjacent to the UH Hilo campus. The P3 projects by UH are executed by the Office of Strategic Development and Partnership under the Office of the Vice President for Budget and Finance/Chief Financial Officer (OVPB&F/CFO).

“This project demonstrates how we can creatively leverage partnerships to meet multiple statewide needs at once, housing for students and faculty and childcare for young families,” said VPB&F/CFO Kalbert Young. “It’s a win for the university, our students and the broader community. With Hale Haukani now open and Hale Kāwili on the horizon, we are committed to expanding our P3 portfolio.”

New student housing, more housing for residents

The opening of Hale Haukani is expected to help ease pressure on Honolulu’s rental market by freeing up off-campus units that might otherwise have been occupied by UH students. Increasing the availability of affordable housing is a top priority for the governor.

“Today’s opening is a testament to what’s possible when government and private partners work together toward shared goals,” said Governor Green. “I commend the University of Hawaiʻi for its success in using the P3 model to deliver Hale Haukani and RISE. These projects not only improve the student experience but also contribute to our statewide efforts to expand housing options. Their impact will be felt across Hawaiʻi for decades to come.”

UH Mānoa Children’s Center’s new home

A major feature of Hale Haukani is the UH Mānoa Children’s Center, which will be relocating from Castle Memorial Hall to a new 9,000-square-foot facility within the housing complex. The expanded center increases capacity from 90 to approximately 130 children and will enhance training opportunities for pre-K educators in partnership with the UH Mānoa College of Education and other academic units. The project aligns with Ready Keiki, the lieutenant governor’s  statewide initiative to establish universal access to preschool in Hawaiʻi by 2032.

“Expanding access to early childhood education is at the heart of the Ready Keiki initiative, and this new facility is an important step toward that goal,” said Luke. “It not only provides more preschool seats for Hawaiʻi’s keiki, it also strengthens our ability to train and credential the teachers we need to support our youngest learners.”

The State of Hawaiʻi School Facilities Authority contributed $10 million toward construction of the childcare center, further advancing its mission to expand pre-kindergarten access across the islands.

Builder for the future

For Swinerton Builders, the project is a testament to teamwork and community impact. 

“Building Hale Haukani has been an honor for our team,” said Aaron Yamasaki, vice president and division manager at Swinerton. “This facility not only provides much needed student housing, it creates a space where learning, research and family life can thrive together. We’re proud to contribute to a project that will benefit the UH community and the people of Hawai‘i for generations to come.”

The facility is designed to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification. Swinerton is also in the process of renovating a former four-story library at UH Mānoa into a state-of-the-art Student Success Center, scheduled for completion in 2026.

Understanding “Haukani”

Haukani is the swirling wind that moves through Mānoa Valley. Traditional moʻolelo (stories) speak of the love between Haukani and Tuahine, the valley’s gentle rain. From their union came their daughter, Kahalaopuna, a princess celebrated for her exceptional  beauty, who still graces Mānoa today in the form of brilliant ānuenue (rainbows).

For more information about Hale Haukani and UH Mānoa student housing, visit https://manoa.hawaii.edu/housing.