HONOLULU — The City and County of Honolulu has completed the acquisition of 175 N. Pauahi St., marking another important milestone in the City’s efforts to expand affordable housing opportunities in Honolulu’s urban core.
The approximately 8,231-square-foot property, located at the corner of North Pauahi St. and River St. on the edge of Chinatown, was acquired by the City on April 1, 2026 for $4,520,000. The acquisition was completed by the City’s Department of Housing and Land Management as part of the administration’s ongoing effort to strategically acquire and assemble properties that can support future affordable housing, transit-oriented development, and community-serving uses.
The property is currently significantly underutilized, with only four of its 42 existing residential units occupied. Through this acquisition and planned redevelopment, the City plans to bring these units back into productive use, increasing housing availability in a high-demand area.
In the near term, the City will focus on site stabilization and property management, followed by planning for renovation and construction. The goal is to return the existing units back to the market as quickly as possible.
“This acquisition is part of our long-term strategy to make better use of strategically located properties to address Honolulu’s housing needs,” said Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi. “By bringing underutilized properties like this back into productive use and creating new affordable housing opportunities in our urban core, we can help more local families live closer to jobs, services, and transit while supporting the continued revitalization of neighborhoods like Chinatown and Downtown.”
The project will transform a largely vacant and underperforming property into safe, stable, and well-managed housing. By repositioning the property through adaptive reuse, the City may be able to move more quickly than with traditional ground-up development.
“Strategic acquisitions like this allow the City to take a more proactive role in shaping development in our urban core,” said DHLM director Kevin Auger. “In addition to creating new affordable housing opportunities, this acquisition helps consolidate City ownership of multiple parcels within this block of Chinatown, creating a unique opportunity for future master planning and coordinated redevelopment that can integrate housing, services, and community-serving commercial uses.”
Honolulu City Councilmember Tyler Dos Santos-Tam, who represents the area, said the acquisition is part of a larger push to revitalize Honolulu’s historic urban core.
“Chinatown and Downtown are two of Honolulu’s most historic and walkable neighborhoods. This acquisition is an important investment in their future,” said Dos Santos-Tam. “Because this building fronts River St., it sits in a part of Chinatown that has struggled in recent years. Bringing new life to River St. is a big step in our broader effort to revitalize Chinatown and Downtown, and I’m glad the City is stepping up to secure properties for affordable housing and redevelopment in the urban core.”
The City will continue evaluating opportunities to use the site to support affordable housing and other community-serving uses as part of its broader housing and land management strategy.
For more information about the Department of Housing and Land Management and its programs, visit honolulu.gov/dhlm.
