The city has acquired its first building in Waikiki with affordable units designated for Housing First tenants — a move greeted by many who have long complained about growing homelessness in their neighborhood.

Several Waikiki Neighborhood Board members attended a Tuesday news conference to show their support for the city’s acquisition of the building at 436 Ena Road. Twenty percent of the 33 units there will be slated for Housing First, a program that removes traditional housing barriers for homeless people and provides supportive serv­ices.

The city said approximately a dozen tenants live in the eight-story building and might remain. However, the city’s goal is for 60 percent of the units to serve tenants making less than 60 percent of the area median income — approximately $49,020 for one person and $55,980 for two people.

The city is seeking an agency to oversee and manage the property, which is made up of small studios with private bathrooms and shared kitchen space. A resident manager will live on-site, with the building’s second floor dedicated to providing social services.

While the reception from the Waikiki board was positive, a low-income project at 1506 Piikoi St. announced last year drew concerns from some nearby residents.

The Waikiki community historically has not always supported homeless housing programs. There originally was a Housing First component planned for Ainahau Vista II, but pushback forced the project — which opened less than a month ago — to offer units tailored for low-income seniors.

Waikiki Neighborhood Board Chairman Bob Finely said his board listened to city and state presentations on homelessness and “decided that we weren’t going to be a NIMBY neighborhood and that we would support affordable housing.”

A one-day census of Oahu’s homeless population showed a decrease for the first time in nine years. Marc Alexander, director of the Mayor’s Office of Housing, attributed some of the improvement to more available affordable housing and greater deployment of city Housing First vouchers and rapid-rehousing funds.

While the overall count of Oahu’s unsheltered population fell, it rose along the Waianae Coast, in Ewa and in East Honolulu, including Waikiki. Waikiki Neighborhood Board member Kathryn Henski said a reason there’s been no reduction in Waikiki is because rents at modest two-bedrooms can run upward of $2,500 and there’s little affordable housing.

“This project would be a win-win for the community and those who are going to be living in it,” Henski said. “As people get to know the ‘rehomed,’ they will establish a community relationship, which leads to acceptance. These people already live in Waikiki, and they are our neighbors.”

Mayor Kirk Caldwell said the Waikiki project is part of a broader city push to provide affordable housing. Since 2016 the city has established six affordable-housing projects and was a partner in the Kahauiki Village project — serving 477 tenants, mostly in the downtown area.

The city used funds from a Community Development Block Grant program to acquire the Ena Road project for $7.5 million. In addition to the Waikiki project, a 30-unit project on Young Street and a 34-unit project on Citron Street are planned to deliver affordable housing to nearby McCully and Moiliili.

In fiscal years 2016 and 2017, the city spent $64 million on affordable housing, and in fiscal year 2018 plans to spend $50 million on affordable transient-oriented development, said Sandy Pfund, director of the city Department of Land Management.

Pamela Witty-Oakland, director of the city Department of Community Services, said the budget for programs and housing, which comes from various city and federal sources, is expected to increase in 2018 to $22.9 million from the year-earlier $15.8 million.

Caldwell made a pitch to the Honolulu City Council to restore funding for the city Department of Land Management, which he said is needed to satisfy rising needs. Caldwell had requested $1.1 million for department operations and money to fund salaries for 10 people. However, the fiscal year 2018 budget provides only $10,000 for operations and enough money to pay salaries for Pfund and a secretary.