Nobody wants to see a repeat of the past outbreaks of COVID-19 in nursing homes here, so it’s heartening to see that Hawaii leads the nation in vaccination rates for their staff, for the four weeks ending July 18. Here, 88.7% of home residents and 87% of staff have been fully vaccinated. That compares with 60% of staff and 82% of residents nationally.

AARP Hawaii released that update to its nursing-home dashboard (808ne.ws/AARPnursing). More than 65 home residents here have died of the disease.

More affordable rentals for seniors

Given Hawaii’s growing kupuna population, steady forward motion is needed to expand affordable rental options for seniors. Among the latest projects in the works is Hale Makana O Mo‘ili‘ili, a proposed six-story apartment building with 105 residences — with most units reserved for household incomes of up to 50% of Honolulu’s median. That equates to $42,300 for a single person and $48,350 for a couple.

The developer, California-­based 3 Leaf Holdings Inc., anticipates seeking tenants shortly before the Moiliili area complex’s February 2023 anticipated completion. Projected monthly rents for low-income residents are from $521 to $1,226.