Incoming and current student residents at the University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz� have a that simplifies and centralizes their on-campus housing experience.

(SHS) soft-launched the upgraded system from StarRez in November for spring 2026 applicants, and it consolidates most housing-related services into one site. This means student residents and aspiring student residents can get complete applications, room/roommate details and access pricing, meal plan changes and support for room transfers all on one site.

“This new platform gives students one clear place to manage their housing needs,” said David Akana, interim director of Student Housing Services. “It streamlines the process, provides personalized information and makes it easier for students to find the right housing for them at ����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz�.&�����ܴ�;

Beginning in March 2026, the new housing portal will be used for all students applying for the fall 2026 semester. ����Vlog�ٷ� estimates about 4,000 housing applicants at the start of each academic year, with approximately 3,100 beds available, underscoring the need for a streamlined site with improved functionality.

Another feature the new portal aims to improve is a more personalized roommate-matching experience, using questions about sleep habits, interests and lifestyle preferences to help students find compatible roommates.

“This new platform reflects our commitment to making the student housing experience smoother and more accessible,” said Jan Gouveia, ����Vlog�ٷ� vice president for administration. “By bringing everything into one place, we’re giving students direct access to the tools they need to navigate their housing journey.”

SHS plans to expand on the platform in the future by integrating the service request and room condition system, further improving support for students living on campus.

In an effort to mālama ʻāina (care for the land) the Hale Wainani Courtyard, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s resident advisors, student residents and members of gathered on September 8, for “Bloom & Mingle,” a special event dedicated to beautifying their shared community space through gardening.

Volunteers worked side by side to weed and refresh the courtyard’s landscape. The primary task involved cleaning the grounds and preparing a large planter for new lauaʻe (a native Hawaiian fern), with the goal of turning a common area into a flourishing green space. Joining them in the effort was ����Vlog�ٷ� Mānoa Provost Vassilis Syrmos, who helped weed the planters.

“This project was a great example of student-led initiative and the spirit of mālama ʻāina here at the university,” said Syrmos. “It was a privilege to join the Hale Wainani community, get my hands dirty, and support their work in creating a space that is not only beautiful but also culturally significant.”

Marisol Dennis, a third-year botany student and a resident advisor at Hale Wainani, explained that the garden was created to solve a campus-wide issue. She noted that around graduation, high demand for lei materials often led to improper harvesting from campus plants.

“We want to make sure that residents within student housing, and [all] students at ����Vlog�ٷ�, can understand the importance of harvesting in the best way and a responsible way,” said Dennis. “And so we’re going to do educational programs throughout the year, but we’re also going to work on signage.”

The event demonstrated how collaborative action can cultivate not only a garden but also a stronger sense of campus ʻohana, directly contributing to the event’s overarching theme of “Growing Student Success.”

Hale Haukani, a $170-million student housing complex on the University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz� campus, officially opened on Monday, August 18, with a blessing ceremony attended by ����Vlog�ٷ� President Wendy Hensel, Gov. Josh Green, Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke and other ����Vlog�ٷ� 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 ����ԴDz� 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 ����Vlog�ٷ� 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.”

����Vlog�ٷ�’s Second Public Private Partnership

Hale Haukani is ����Vlog�ٷ�’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 ����Vlog�ٷ�. 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 ����Vlog�ٷ� to subsidize rents so that they remain below the market rate for comparable units. With the opening of the facility, ����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz� 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 ����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz�, not only because it addresses a longstanding housing shortage,” said ����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz� 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 ����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz� 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.”

“For Greystar, it has been an honor to deliver Hale Haukani on time and ready for student move-in,” said James Melaugh, director of development for Greystar. “This project represents the very best of what can be achieved when public and private partners work together with focus and determination. Hale Haukani is designed not just as housing, but as a community where students and families can thrive. Together, we have created something lasting that will serve generations of students. We can all be proud of what has been accomplished here.”

����Vlog�ٷ� recently announced its third public-private partnership (P3) student housing project, a redevelopment of the Hale Kāwili Apartments adjacent to the ����Vlog�ٷ� Hilo campus. The P3 projects by ����Vlog�ٷ� are executed by the Office of Strategic Development and Partnership under the Office of the Vice President for Budget and Finance/Chief Financial Officer (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,” Vice President for Budget and Finance/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 ����Vlog�ٷ� students. Increasing the availability of affordable housing is a top priority for Governor Green.

“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.”

����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz� Children’s Center’s new home

A major feature of Hale Haukani is the ����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz� 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 ����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz� College of Education and other academic units. The project aligns with , 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 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 ����Vlog�ٷ� community and the people of Hawaiʻi 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 ����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz� into a state-of-the-art Student Success Center, scheduled for completion in 2026.

Understanding ‘Haukani’

Haukani is the swirling wind that moves through ����ԴDz� 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 ����ԴDz� today in the form of brilliant ānuenue (rainbows).

For more information about Hale Haukani and ����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz� student housing, visit .

A new dedicated home in Kahului is making clinical training on Maui accessible for more medical students from the University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz� (JABSOM).

Located just minutes from Maui Memorial Medical Center, the four-bedroom, three-bath home provides stable, rent-free housing for students completing clinical rotations on the Valley Isle. The project is a partnership between Maui County, Maui Health, Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, Kaiser Permanente and JABSOM.

“Before, it was a patchwork system,” said Felicitas Livaudais, a Maui-based physician and JABSOM Maui site coordinator. “Someone might offer a spare bedroom, or we’d rely on community members like Auntie Tina, who let students stay in her home and even cooked for them.”

Historically, most ����Vlog�ٷ� medical students completed their training on Oʻahu. Those interested in neighbor island rotations often faced housing challenges, limiting opportunities to serve rural communities.

“It means a lot,” said Tynell Ornellas, a third-year medical student from Upcountry Maui now living in the home. “It’s really convenient to be so close to the hospital and also close to a group of physicians and the community here. It just really takes a big load off.”

It’s not just supporting medical students, it’s supporting the people of Maui.
—Angela Phillips

“If we didn’t have this house, I don’t think I would’ve been able to come to Maui,” said Angela Phillips, another medical student. “It allows us to fully immerse ourselves in the community without the financial burden.”

The home is part of the Housing for Healthcare initiative led by Maui Health Foundation, which aims to ease the housing shortage for healthcare providers. With land donated by the County of Maui, the initiative plans to build 16 homes near Maui Lani Fairways, with one reserved for ����Vlog�ٷ� medical students and residents. JABSOM’s Friends of the Medical School covers rent and upkeep.

“Without housing, we literally could not have students rotating and learning from neighbor island physicians,” said Travis Hong, JABSOM’s director of rural health education. “This house is a blessing for our program.”

“It’s not just supporting medical students, it’s supporting the people of Maui,” Phillips added.

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The University of Hawaiʻi’s public-private partnership (P3) program has secured its third major housing opportunity, this time to redevelop and manage the Hale Kāwili Apartments on property adjacent to the ����Vlog�ٷ� Hilo campus. The Community Development Alliance Corporation Hilo (CDAC Hilo), a not-for-profit organization, has agreed to a 45-year lease for the 100-unit (208 beds) housing facility at 430 West Kāwili Street in Hilo. Under the agreement, CDAC Hilo assumes ownership of the existing facilities and will take full responsibility for operating, maintaining, and upgrading the property, effective July 1, 2025.

“This is about keeping our students, faculty, and staff, along with their families housed, supported and part of our campus ʻohana,” said ����Vlog�ٷ� Hilo Chancellor Bonnie D. Irwin. “Affordable housing plays a huge role in whether or not students can stay and succeed.”

Built in 1972, Hale Kāwili is the only privately owned apartment-style housing in Hilo that serves only ����Vlog�ٷ� Hilo students, faculty, and staff, offering two- and three-bedroom units. As part of the agreement, CDAC Hilo must submit a full redevelopment plan within five years which may include demolishing and rebuilding the current structures.

“CDAC is honored to provide housing for faculty and students at the Hilo campus,” said CDAC Chief Executive Officer Jared Everett. “Helping universities provide affordably-priced, quality housing is our mission, and we look forward to working with the university on this project.”

P3 program success

Hale Kāwili, adjacent to the ����Vlog�ٷ� Hilo campus, is the ����Vlog�ٷ� System’s newest initiative to expand privately financed student housing.

Two earlier projects serve the ����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz� community: the , which opened in fall 2023, and , scheduled to open in fall 2025.

In every case, the residences are designed, financed, and operated by private, non-profit entities. ����Vlog�ٷ� programs occupy dedicated space within the mixed-use buildings: the Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship (PACE) classrooms and makerspaces in RISE, and the ����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz� Children’s Center in Hale Haukani.

By working with experienced private owner-operators, ����Vlog�ٷ� can meet growing housing demand without new state capital appropriations or tuition increases, while focusing ����Vlog�ٷ� funds on core academic and research facilities, including renovations to existing ����Vlog�ٷ�-owned housing stock.

“By working with private owner-operators, we can add badly needed beds—both on and near our campuses—while concentrating ����Vlog�ٷ� resources in maintaining our core residence halls,” said ����Vlog�ٷ� President Wendy Hensel. “Because these projects are financed and operated by private entities, they expand our housing capacity without increasing tuition and with limited state investment.”

The ����Vlog�ٷ� Office of Strategic Development and Partnership (OSDP), under the Office of the Vice President for Budget and Finance, negotiated these agreements on behalf of the University.

“We’re excited about the progress that the University has made with its public-private partnership program,” said OSDP Director Michael Shibata. “These projects could not have been executed without the support of University leadership and the ongoing work with internal and external partners.”

The university continues to evaluate other P3 opportunities that could support major projects across ����Vlog�ٷ� campuses throughout the state.

Residents of Hale Wainani at the University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz� sought to create more than just a garden—they wanted to cultivate connection and sustainability. The idea for a lei garden emerged from the long-standing issue of excessive flower picking during celebrations, which led to damaged trees and wasted blooms.

“This is not the kind of relationship we want to continue with our living environment,” said ʻIhilani Lasconia, Hale Wainani Community Council advisor. “Creating the lei garden is a means to supply residents with lei making materials; but beyond that, it’s a chance for residents to engage with these plants in a more meaningful way.”

Lasconia, alongside resident assistant Marisol Dennis, mapped and measured dilapidated planter boxes between Hale Wainani buildings. Partnering with ����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz� Landscaping Department Manager Yosuke Jo and his team, they prepared the soil and selected common lei making plants, including lauaʻe, tī leaf varieties, pleomele, pua kalaunu and pō hina hina.

“This is a collaboration with students who are passionate about sustainability, and I hope to see this expand to other areas in student housing one day,” said Jo. “It teaches students responsibility in land stewardship and the importance of native plants beyond aesthetics.”

Fostering a sustainable relationship

The Hale Wainani Community Council will pilot growing and harvesting protocols to promote a sustainable relationship between residents and the plants. Instead of just picking and harvesting the garden, residents who want to make lei will have a chance to be a part of the growing process.

“The fact that this project is coming to fruition is surreal,” said Lasconia. “We hope that residents will be inspired to get involved in this effort, and with the signage we create, we also hope that this garden will be used as a site of education, informing residents about different plants in Hawaiʻi and their many purposes.”

Students at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa have a unique opportunity to provide feedback on new student housing furniture layouts, as seeks to gauge interest in rooms designed to accommodate up to three student residents.

“We want students to try out the new furniture system to see if it suits their needs, including desks, chairs and storage,” said Brian Strawn, director of office planning and spatial experience. “We’re also interested in whether students would be comfortable living in a triple room, which could help reduce housing costs.”

In partnership with Loll Designs, Student Housing Services has developed sustainable and durable furniture, a recyclable plastic commonly used in the U.S.

The mock-up housing layouts include:

• Three elevated beds
• Desks
• Closets
• Cubbies that can fit 12 cube storage bins
• Mini 3D models of the layouts, which students are encouraged to explore to see what might fit best for their living situation

Students got their first look at the potential layouts at the Mānoa Bookstore on March 12 and March 14. Additional showcase sessions are scheduled for April 9 and 10, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Hale Aloha Café.

Those unable to attend can still provide feedback by .

A new HI-5 recycling pilot program spearheaded by University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa students in partnership with the local nonprofit organization, Bottles4College, is transforming sustainability efforts in student housing facilities. The students identified a lack of accessible recycling options and collaborated with the ����Vlog�ٷ� Office of Sustainability to develop a project to bring recycling to Frear Hall.

The program launched with an event on four floors of Frear Hall where participants sorted two 48-gallon bins of recyclables. The initiative, created through Bottles4College’s platform, provided student residents with a convenient way to recycle HI-5 bottles, reducing waste and promoting sustainability while also creating more accessibility to higher education. The next event is scheduled for February 8.

“I witnessed firsthand the limited recycling options available,” said Giada Colombo, a former student housing resident. “I wanted to improve that for future students, making sustainability not just an option but a convenient choice for everyone living on campus. It’s exciting to see the positive impact our efforts are having on both the environment and our community.”

Reducing waste, funding the future

Through the collaboration, all collected HI-5 bottles at Frear Hall were donated to Bottles4College’s program to help create college scholarships for students in Hawaiʻi.

“We want to thank the students and staff at Frear Hall for making this happen,” said Miles Topping, director of ����Vlog�ٷ� Office of Sustainability. “We hope this type of effort continues to grow across the campus with more students getting involved at more ����Vlog�ٷ� facilities.”

“Bottles4College is very excited to be able to bring sustainability through recycling to ����Vlog�ٷ� Mānoa’s Frear Hall and cannot thank the ����Vlog�ٷ� students, Mr. Topping, Giada, and the rest of their team for making this possible,” said Genshu Price, Bottles4College founder. “We look forward to building a greener future through this initiative and more.”

If successful, the program plans to expand to other ����Vlog�ٷ� Mānoa residence halls to continue promoting sustainable practices into student life.

Participants of the holiday clothing swap at the Campus Center Courtyard had the opportunity to refresh their wardrobes by swapping or taking gently used clothing at no cost. Organized by the Student Sustainability Council (SSC) and the ����Vlog�ٷ� Office of Sustainability, the event aimed to help minimize waste and promote sustainable practices for the holiday season.

“Clearing out your closet at the end of the semester can be a challenge—whether your style has evolved or you’re out of space,” said Ruby Aliason, marketing coordinator at the Office of Sustainability. “The event offered a creative solution, letting students refresh their wardrobe without buying new clothes this holiday season.”

The event featured items donated by the Women’s Campus Club Thrift Shop and contributions collected through donation bins at student housing buildings, including Gateway House, Frear Hall and Hale Wainani Apartments, over the course of a week. More than six trash bags of clothing were donated. While participants were encouraged to donate clothing, donations were not required to take items.

“Within just a few days, the donation bin was already full and nearly overflowing,” said Téa Loren, a freshman resident at Gateway House and member of SSC. “The residents were happy to participate, and the event was a huge success in diverting clothing from landfills and allowing students to engage in sustainable practices.”

The remaining items from the clothing swap will be donated to local charities to further support the community and reduce waste.

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