Honolulu kūpuna wait months for working elevator

Flood damage has left seniors with limited mobility crowded into a tiny service lift

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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Kūpuna living at Malulani Hale in Honolulu have endured five months without their main elevator, forcing seniors with walkers and wheelchairs to crowd into a tiny service lift and sometimes miss medical rides. Flood damage last fall crippled the larger elevator, and with repairs in Honolulu notoriously slow, property managers warn a full fix could still be months away or longer.

Why it matters

This issue highlights the challenges faced by elderly residents in Honolulu, who rely on functioning elevators to access their homes and medical appointments. The prolonged outage has created significant hardship and disruption for these vulnerable kūpuna, raising concerns about accessibility and the pace of repairs in the city.

The details

The main elevator at Malulani Hale, a senior living facility in Honolulu, was damaged by flooding last fall. This has forced residents who use walkers or wheelchairs to crowd into a much smaller service lift, which can only accommodate a few people at a time. The repair process has been slow, leaving the kūpuna without their primary means of access for five months and counting. Property managers say a full fix could still take several more months to complete.

  • The main elevator at Malulani Hale was damaged by flooding last fall.
  • Kūpuna have been without the main elevator for five months as of March 2026.

The players

Malulani Hale

A senior living facility in Honolulu where the elevator outage has occurred.

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What’s next

Property managers at Malulani Hale have warned that a full repair of the main elevator could still take several more months to complete, leaving the kūpuna residents without their primary means of access for the foreseeable future.

The takeaway

This situation underscores the need for improved accessibility and timely repairs for elderly residents in Honolulu, who rely on functioning elevators to maintain their independence and access essential services. It highlights the challenges faced by vulnerable populations when critical infrastructure fails, and the importance of prioritizing their needs in the city's maintenance and repair efforts.