Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 3, Number 4, 1 April 1986 — Solution Assured Waianae Project Tenants [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Solution Assured Waianae Project Tenants

An official of the Hawaii Housing Authority assured some concerned tenants of the Waimaha Sunflower apartment project in Waianae that some or all of their concerns will be taken care off immediately. Warren Wegesend, assistant to HHA Executive Director Russell N. Fukumoto and director of the Management Housing Branch, assured tenants that deficiencies at the projects will be corrected shortly after adjournment of their meeting on the morning of Mar. 14 in the Waianae headquarters of the Honolulu Community Action Program.

Tenarits had requested the meeting through Theola Silva, Waianae HCAP deputy director who in turn informed Office of Hawaiian Affairs Human Services Specialist Sam Holt because a high percentage of the 164 residents are Hawaiian and part Hawaiian. Diana McCutcheon and Kamaile Shoaf, along with James W. Worsham Jr. and several other tenants, had listed their gripes on three typewritten sheets of paper. The concerns ran from security to safety and laek of fire extinguishers, laundry facilities, project rules, resident manager, maintenance, unsanitary conditions, heavy concentration of dust, burned out lights, bare wires, rotted floors, leaking pipes, trespassing, vandalism and many more like complaints.

There were no complimentary remarks for the managing firm of Professional Island Management Co. and its representative Clarence Lopez who was also at the meeting. After discussing the concerns item by item, Wegesend assured the group he will do everything possible to correct the situation although some of the work may take a little longer mainly because of federal guidelines involved. In other cases, some of the jobs may have to go to bidding and this generally takes about four or five months, Wegesend said. " l'm just as concerned about the health and safety of the tenants," Wegesend told the group. "If its our problem, we'll eome out and repair it. But if its the tenant's fault, they'll be charged," he emphasized.

Holt suggested a new tenants' association be formed and itemize their priorities. He recalled that such a group functioned with a great measure of success up to four years ago and that there were no problems. Wegesend chimed in with the suggestion that they form a community watch program "because it is a highly visible program and I know it works. It has been proven to work in several communities in

Honolulu." A fight involving several tenants and a few non-tenants in the Sunflower parking lot over a month ago probably precipitated the Mar. 14 meeting. Wegesend told the group that while he will be doing everything to handle their concerns, he also was asking them for their kokua in being concerned tenants.

"This is a two-way street and I'm asking for your cooperation and kokua. We can't do it alone," Wegesend said. Holt echoed the same sentiments and reiterated Wegesend's suggestion to start a community watch program. Also at the meeting were Miehael Hee, HHA property

management coordinator, and Charlene Kalama of the Legal Aid Office in Waianae. Holt and Ka Wai Ola O OHA visited the projects after the meeting and found many of the complaints to be wellfounded. Laundry facilities, for instance, are very inadequate.

Five washing machines and dryers are cramped in a small room. These are supposed to serve the 130 units and the hours of operation are ridiculous, ending at 3 p. m. when most people are still at work. Wegesend's assurances appear to have satisfied the eoncerned tenants who must now regroup and follow the suggestions made by Holt and the HHA official or hope for the best.

James W. Worsham Jr., standing with paper in hand, asks Warren Wegesend when ean he expect to return to his unit at Waimaha. Worsham said his apartment can't be lived in because of the heavy accumuIation of dust, dirty walls and other short-comings. Around table at left is Wegesend, Charlene Kalama of the Legal Aid office, HCAP's Theola Silva and Office of Hawaiian Affairs Human Services Specialist Sam Holt. To his left and partially hidden is Kamaile Shoaf, Diana McCutheon and Clarence Lopez of Professional Island Management Co.