District happenings, Scam awareness, Community Relief

On January 28, 1969, an oil well blew out off the coast of Santa Barbara. Drilled by California’s Union Oil Company, more than three million gallons of oil spewed, killing more than 10,000 seabirds, seals, and dolphins. As a reaction to this disaster, activists were mobilized to create environmental regulation, education, and Earth Day. Many important environmental events have happened on Earth Day since then; and it continues to be a momentous and unifying day every year.

• Legislative Update: Conference Committees Meet Next Week
• Kalakaua Avenue Condo Penthouse Fills Niche for Community
• Waikiki Health Center is providing  COVID-19 Vaccine & Testing
• Moiliili Sewer Reconstruction Project
• Honolulu Intersections Earmarked for Red Light Camera Pilot Program
• Prepping for 2021 Shinnyo Lantern Floating Ceremony Starts
• Unemployment Insurance Fraud
• HECO Thieves Devise New Trick Using Prepaid Cards
• HECO Disconnection Moratorium Extended to May 31
• Eviction Moratorium Extended to June 8; Free Landlord-Tenant Mediation
• Waitlist applications for Oahu public housing to open for low-income families

Legislative Update: Conference Committees Meet Next Week
The legislature now heads into conference next week.  There are 339 remaining bills in the legislature and conferees from the House and Senate will meet in committee to resolve differences between the House and Senate versions of the measures.  If we reach agreement, the conference committee reports the bill out for a final floor vote in either chamber and it is transmitted to the Governor to await his signature, adoption without signature, or veto.

Kalakaua Avenue Condo Penthouse Fills Niche for Community
The developer of a Kalakaua Avenue condo penthouse is addressing an unfulfilled niche — remote workers coming to the islands for tech types wanting to work in paradise. Oahu real estate developer R.J. Martin is building a dozen small bedrooms connected to shared living and workspaces at Century Center. The idea is to build a community for digital nomads and returning kamaaina who need a short-term landing pad. Surfbreak HNL, as the property is called, will offer leases of three to six months, a rarity in Honolulu. While the rent’s not cheap – starting at $1,600 per month for a small single room with a twin bed – Martin is selling more than a place to crash. The idea is to let somebody check in with a suitcase and laptop and get to work. Amenities include wired Internet in every room, a free pass for the Biki bike-share program, coworking space and even a studio for producing YouTube videos and podcasts. For more info, click here.

Waikiki Health Center is providing  COVID-19 Vaccine & Testing

VACCINE:  Waikiki Health Center is offering COVID-19 vaccines to eligible people who are established patients of the center. To schedule an appointment for COVID-19 vaccination, call the Patient Services Representative at (808) 922-4787, available Monday through Friday, 7:30 am to 6 pm, and on Saturdays from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm.  Click here for more information.

TESTING:  To schedule an appointment for the center’s COVID-19 testing hotline, which is open every day, 7am – 5pm, call 699-7180.

• Current and new patients must be symptomatic per the CDC guidelines or must have direct contact with COVID-19 exposure. To review the symptoms of COVID-19, click here.
• New patients are asked to fill-out a patient registration form in advance of scheduling an appointment. click here to fill out the form.
• Testing Location & Hours: 277 Ohua Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96815, Monday – Friday; 8 am – 9:30 am
• All patients are required to wear face masks to appointments.

Moiliili Sewer Reconstruction Project
Sewer construction is continuing on Isenberg and Hausten Streets, both between King Street and Date Street. The contractor received approval from the City Dept of Transportation Services allowing them to extend their work hours from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm (previously 8:30 am to 3:30 pm) on Monday through Friday.  The contractor started the project on April 14 and will continue until the end of July.

Honolulu Intersections Earmarked for Red Light Camera Pilot Program
The state transportation department is moving ahead with the red light camera pilot program which will affect intersections at Ward Avenue, Piikoi and McCully streets, among other areas.  The 24/7 system takes a magnified picture of the rear of a vehicle that runs a red light, capturing the license plate. A second, wide-angle photo taken simultaneously captures the entire intersection. A citation or summons will be sent to the vehicle’s registered owner. This should help in reducing the persistent problem of drivers running red lights at certain intersections. Ten Oahu intersections have been earmarked for the program. If the ten sites are approved, the pilot program may start late this summer. To see DOT’s draft rules for the program, click here.

Prepping for 2021 Shinnyo Lantern Floating Ceremony Starts
Although the Shinnyo Lantern ceremony won’t air on TV until Memorial Day 2021, those that would like to participate virtually can do so from April 12 through June 4.  For a second year, the annual Shinnyo Lantern Floating Hawaii ceremony at Ala Moana Beach Park won’t be taking place in its traditional form because of the pandemic. On the grounds of the Shinnyo-en temple in Honolulu, a large-scale lantern will be installed as a space for reflection. Participants will be able to write and hang prayers and messages on the trees within the art installation. Those who can’t visit the temple in person may send in their remembrances online here, starting April 12.  Find out more about the 2021 Shinnyo Lantern Floating ceremony in Hawaii here.

Unemployment Insurance Fraud
Many claimants are receiving this fraudulent text: “We noticed an error in your Unemployment Claim. Click ‘here’ to review your claim. Hawaii Department of Job & Family Services.” The link takes the user to a replica of the DLIR home page. The URL, or web address, is incorrect, ending in .com rather than .gov, among other discrepancies. Please know that Hawaii does not have a Department of Job & Family Services in its state government. While DLIR staffers will call claimants to follow up on unemployment claims, they wouldn’t text them. The only portal for unemployment insurance benefits is at huiclaims.hawaii.gov/#/. Other items to watch out for:

• The DLIR does not have social media accounts except Twitter (@HI_DLIR, is used to share broad information, not respond to specific claims).

• DLIR employees are prohibited from using social media to assist claimants.

• The DLIR never charges a fee for unemployment services. If you are asked to pay a fee for these services, DO NOT PAY the fee and report this to the DLIR by calling 762-5751 or 762-5752 and choosing option 4.

• Never share your Social Security number on social media or with nontrusted sources.

• Avoid social media groups or outside entities that claim to be able to assist you. If the option is not listed on labor.hawaii.gov, it may be a scam.

HECO Thieves Devise New Trick Using Prepaid Cards
Using scare tactics and trickery, scammers are pretending to be Hawaiian Electric and threatening to disconnect customers’ electric service unless “overdue” bills are cleared with prepaid debit cards. There are reports that scammers are advising customers to purchase MoneyPak cards at local convenience stores. MoneyPak is a convenient way for friends and family to send cash to thousands of eligible prepaid or bank debit cards issued in the U.S. The scammer warns against telling the cashier, as scammers have figured out that store clerks are now trained to intervene. Hawaiian Electric does NOT accept the following types of payment: Cash App, Bitcoin, gift cards, prepaid debit cards. Click here for more acceptable forms of payment.

HECO Disconnection Moratorium Extended to May 31
The Hawaiian Electric moratorium on disconnections for nonpayment has been extended through May 31, 2021. Communications threatening immediate disconnection are scams and can be reported to Hawaiian Electric via this online form.  Customers should note that while the moratorium ends May 31, it won’t trigger immediate disconnections. Those customers having difficulty paying their bill are urged to submit a payment arrangement request to ensure uninterrupted service. To submit a request, click here.

Eviction Moratorium Extended to June 8; Free Landlord-Tenant Mediation
Struggling renters have a few more months of relief. Governor David Ige extended the eviction moratorium through June 8th so landlords are prohibited from evicting residents who lost income during the pandemic for failing to pay rent, maintenance fees, utility charges, and taxes. For landlords and renters who would like their issues mediated by a third party, The Mediation Center of the Pacific is waiving the fee for landlord-tenant mediation. To schedule, call (808) 521-6767 and speak to our Client Services Specialists or fill out the Mediation Request form here.  Mediation is an informal, confidential process that brings people together with an impartial third party (the mediator) to discuss and negotiate their dispute and hopefully come to a mutually satisfactory agreement.

Waitlist applications for Oahu public housing to open for low-income families
The Hawaii Public Housing Authority (HPHA) is opening its Oahu Federal Public Housing waitlist and accepting online applications beginning Friday, April 16. HPHA was created to assist low-income families, the elderly and the disabled to afford decent, safe and sanitary housing. Housing will be given based on a lottery/random selection policy. Following the closing of the waitlist, HPHA will accept all qualified applications and randomly assign a position number to be placed on the applicable waitlist. The application period will be split into two sections and will be open for five days each period. Online applications will be accepted from April 16 at 8 a.m. to April 20 at 4:30 p.m. for eligible applicants who meet the eligibility requirements for the following bedroom sizes:

• Honolulu Elderly (62 years and older or a person with a disability): 1-person studios
• Honolulu Family: 2-bedroom units (with immediate vacancies at the Towers of Kuhio Park)
• Leeward Family: 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom and 3-bedroom units (with immediate vacancies at Waimaha Sunflower in Waianae)

Online applications will be accepted from April 23 at 8 a.m. to April 27 at 4:30 p.m. for eligible applicants who meet the eligibility requirements for the following bedroom sizes:

• Central Elderly (62 yrs and older or a person with a disability): 1-person studios (with immediate vacancies at Kupuna Home O Waialua)

• Central Family: 2-bedroom and 3-bedroom units (with immediate vacancies at Wahiawa Terrace and Kauhale Nani)

To apply for the federal public housing waitlist, click here.