HUD: Three More Weeks To Review ORI Use

It’s been a few weeks since I last updated you dutiful readers on this subject, so it’s time again to report that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is not yet ready to reveal its review of ORI Anuenue Hale.

HUD is looking at the quarterly report submitted by the city at the end of July, and considering fate of $8 million in federal grant money ORI received to construct a facility that has still not yet hit usage targets.

HUD spokeswoman Gene Gibson said Thursday the Honolulu office is still working on the letter, had nothing to report yet and asked DC808 to check back in three weeks.

The Wahiawa senior center at the center of the probe has other purportedly unrelated problems to deal with: a possible investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice for a kickback scheme.

Sen. Daniel Inouye said in an interview at his office Thursday (more on that later) that he was unaware of the allegations against ORI.

“If there is a kickback, I hope they investigate it,” Inouye said.

— Michael Levine