City Housing Office open for business

HONOLULU—On the opening of the City and County of Honolulu’s Office of Housing, Mayor Peter Carlisle announced the appointment of its executive director, Keith I. Ishida, and the County Housing Coordinator, Trish K. Morikawa, effective today.

Last November, voters passed a charter amendment to set up an Office of Housing on July 1. The Office of Housing will establish and administer actionable programs for affordable housing, senior housing, special needs housing, and “homelessness” for the benefit of the people of Oahu. It will also coordinate activities and programs with state and federal agencies as well as with private and non-profit housing organizations.

Ishida brings has worked 23 years with the City in the planning and development of affordable housing projects, community development, public-private partnerships, and “homeless” assistance programs. Ishida has a Bachelor of Arts, Social Science, and a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Hawaii.

Morikawa spent eight years as a Commissioner for the State Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and has worked in project development and funding of government sponsored homesteading programs for all income levels of Native Hawaiians, including coordination with State and federal agencies and private developers. Morikawa has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania and a Juris Doctor from the William S. Richardson School of Law.