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Seven long-term tenants of the Central YMCA in Honolulu will get to stay in their homes for at least three more months after the state said Friday it will subsidize their rent, which was about to increase sharply.

The issue came to the fore when the Y, which is on Atkinson Drive across the street from the Ala Moana Center, gave notice in October that it would end its rental subsidy program that had allowed some residents to pay about $300 a month for a room with a shared bathroom.

That meant they would have to start paying the regular rate of about $1,600 starting in November. The tenants, most of whom are elderly or disabled, were unable to afford the full rent and were scrambling to find other places to stay by the cutoff date.

The nonprofit organization, which offers affordable temporary housing and other social services, said it could no longer afford the subsidies because it had depleted its financial aid program funds.

But after Civil Beat reported about the issue in October, Gov. Josh Green’s office said it would help the residents stay in their units longer. The Y also agreed to let them stay until the issue was resolved.

The announced Friday that it will pay the additional rent from Jan. 9 to April 9 for each of the seven long-term residents, adding up to about $3,900 per resident.

The YMCA will continue to pay the residents’ subsidies until Jan. 9, at which point the state will pick up the tab.

The state will also pay $22,433 in unpaid back rent owed by nine other YMCA tenants who had been paying the regular room rate but had fallen behind on their rent.

YMCA of Honolulu president and CEO Greg Waibel said the Y is not meant to be a longterm solution for homelessness but rather a place where people in transition can stay affordably and seek other services, such as group therapy and community actives.

“We provide short-term, low-barrier accommodations for those in need,” he said at a press conference. “Guests stay with us without credit checks or deposits, paying either daily or weekly.” 

A private room with a shared community bathroom at the Y is advertised for , while larger rooms or those with private bathrooms or kitchenettes cost more.

State homelessness coordinator John Mizuno said his office will work over the next three months to find longer-term solutions for the seven tenants who need help.

One possibility could be offering them a unit in one of the state’s 18 kauhales, as tiny home communities for homeless people are known. There are 16 kauhales on Oʻahu and one each on Maui and the Big Island. Two more are scheduled to open in Iwilei this month and next month, according to Mizuno. 

The kauhales offer community-style living with a focus on self responsibility. Each resident pays $300 per month, or, if they can’t afford it, they can take on jobs in the community, such as assisting with security or cleaning.

“It isn’t going to be a view of Ala Moana Beach Park,” he said of the kauhale units, “(but) it’s going to be a place that they can call their own.”

Mavis Santos, 65, has been paying the lower rent for her single bedroom unit at the Y, which she shares with her partner, for nearly a decade. She said she is grateful to have more time to find new housing.

“I was really worried wondering how we were going to make ends meet,” she said.

Civil Beat’s community health coverage is supported by , Swayne Family Fund of Hawaii Community Foundation, the Cooke Foundation and .