Director’s Message

You are our top priority

Aloha kākou,

HPHA is here for you today, and every day! Although it’s no longer business as usual, the work we’re doing remains most vital. We’re all uneasy and uncertain as these are unprecedented times where giving you a hug has become an instrument of war and distancing ourselves from you has become an act of kindness.

With every adversity there is opportunity for growth and change. We can either be beaten down by this pandemic or we can rise-up and come together as a community. It’s irrelevant whether we live in public housing or in Buckingham Palace, as neither can protect us from COVID-19. But we can get through this together and come out stronger and more resilient.

Be kind to one another and be patient. Don’t allow anxiety and fear to overtake you. Remember the inspirational words of Maya Angelou, “hope and fear cannot occupy the same space…invite one to stay.”

While a few of our staff have been authorized to work from home, hundreds more still report to work each day continuing to serve you, as much of the essential work we do cannot be done from home.

I want you to know HPHA honors our commitments and we won’t stop looking for new opportunities to serve and care for you.

Rest assured that when HPHA hears that there is a positive case we have an emergency plan in place to provide vital assistance to keep the community safe and help affected families get better.

Take great care of yourselves and each other!

Mālama pono,
Hakim Ouansafi
Executive Director, Hawai‘i Public Housing Authority