MEDIA RELEASE

Groundbreaking for the West Hawaii Emergency Housing Facility Program is slated for 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, June 30 at the Friendly Place.

To ensure services offered at the Friendly Place continue and the site work can be completed without jeopardizing health and safety, the county Office of Housing and Community Development is working to secure a nearby building out of which services can continue throughout completion of the site work construction. 

At that time, the operator will then be relocated back to the Friendly Place facility.  

The project is fueled with federal Department of Housing and Urban Development funds totaling $819,113, state funds totaling $500,000, and county funds totaling $500,000, said Jeremy McComber, Office of Housing and Community Development.

 The county is targeting June 2010 for project completion.  

The Friendly Place, a one-stop service center for the homeless, is located at 74-5593 Pawai Place in Kona’s Old Industrial Area. 

For more information, call 331-1468 or 327-3604, or e-mail abailey@co.hawaii.hi.us.