The organization said it failed to reach its fundraising goal this year and can’t afford to maintain the housing program at the Central Y. Suzanne Spencer has lived across from the upscale Ala Moana Center in Honolulu for nearly five years, but for her, the prime location isn’t a matter of luxury, it’s a necessity. The 57-year-old who pieces together a living doing temporary work and odd jobs she finds on Craigslist has been renting a room at the Central YMCA on Atkinson Drive for $300 a month since December 2019.
A brain injury she suffered in a car crash more than 10 years ago has made it too hard for her to hold a steady job, but the affordable rate at the YMCA coupled with its central location near shopping centers and bus stops has allowed her to live independently. Earlier this month though, she learned that way of life would be coming to an end after the Central YMCA informed her and several other long-term tenants that it wouldn’t continue subsidizing their rents. As of Friday, they’ll be charged the YMCA’s regular rate of $400 a week, or $1,600 a month, for a single room and a communal bathroom.
That’s an increase Spencer said she and other long-term residents, including older adults and people with disabilities, can’t afford. ‘We’ve Depleted The Funds’ Lisa Ontai, vice president of marketing and mission advancement for the YMCA of Honolulu, said the nonprofit organization hasn’t raised its advertised rents, it just doesn’t have the funds to.
