“Housing was a critical problem at the beginning of the war.” “On December 7, 1941, the only project operated by the Hawaii Housing Authority was Kamehameha homes consisting of 221 units for families in the low-income bracket.” “Prior to the declaration of war, plans had been prepared for the construction of a low income family project of 368 units to be known as the Mayor Wright homes. The war prevented this development from going ahead”. Following the war more homes were needed.
In 1946, the problem has become even more serious – 11,000 additional houses were needed in the Honolulu-Pearl Harbor area. “Of those who applied the authority could provide houses for only 1,265, 1,000 of whom were placed in Mānoa war homes.” It worked for a while; then, “The Commissioners of the Authority froze vacancies as of January 1, 1956, at Mānoa War Homes, a 982-unit temporary war housing project, as the site must be vacated, buildings demolished, and the land restored to its owners by June 30, 1958.” Familiar Mānoa landmarks that were once the site of the Mānoa War Homes are the Mānoa Marketplace, Noelani School and Mānoa Innovation Center.
