Alia Reserved Housing Lottery: 40 New Kakaako One-Bedrooms from $513,784

Ālia at 888 Ala Moana sold out almost as fast as it opened. Now 40 brand-new one-bedroom homes in the tower are being offered by lottery, priced from $513,784, to Hawaiʻi residents who qualify. Applications are due in person by Sunday, November 1, 2026.

• 40 one-bedroom, one-bath homes
• $513,784–$533,704, fee simple
• Public lottery Saturday, November 14
• Applications due Sunday, November 1

A Rare Way Into a Front-Row Tower

Ālia is Kobayashi Group’s 39-story tower on Ala Moana Boulevard, between SALT at Our Kakaʻako and Ward Village, with Kewalo Basin across the street. The developer reported it 99 percent sold within two years, so for most buyers the only way in has been through an owner’s resale. The 40 reserved housing residences change that. They are new, fee simple one-bedrooms in the tower’s podium, sold under the Hawaiʻi Community Development Authority’s reserved housing program at prices well below the building’s market homes. Residents share the same amenity program as everyone else in the building, from the sixth-floor infinity pool to the bowling alley and movie theater.

Who Can Apply

The program is built for people who live and work in Hawaiʻi and want to own the home they live in. Applicants must be Hawaiʻi residents, U.S. citizens or resident aliens, and at least 18, and no one buying can have owned a principal residence in the past three years. Household income can be up to $130,700 for one person, $149,400 for two, or $168,100 for three, and there is an asset limit as well. Retirement accounts and gifts toward a down payment are not counted as assets, which surprises a lot of buyers who assume they earn or save too much to qualify.

How the Lottery Works

Every qualified applicant who turns in a complete application on time is entered in a public lottery on Saturday, November 14. The lottery does not hand out specific homes. It assigns each applicant a number that sets the order in which buyers choose from the remaining residences at selection appointments the following week, where a $500 initial deposit is due on signing. Applying early does not get you a better number, but missing the deadline means you are not in the drawing at all.

What to Know Before You Apply

Reserved housing is real ownership with a few strings attached, and they are worth understanding up front. Each Ālia reserved home carries a two-year regulated term: you must live in it during that time, and HCDA has the first option to buy it back if you want to sell early. When you do sell, HCDA receives a share of the equity tied to the discount you received at purchase. Parking is not included in the price. None of these are deal breakers for most buyers, but you should know how they affect your numbers before you commit.

Why You Should Start This Week

The application window is short and the requirements are strict. Packets are only available through Thursday, October 29. Completed applications must be delivered in person between October 28 and 5:00 p.m. on November 1, with no extensions and nothing accepted by mail or email. A complete application includes a pre-qualification letter from one of the program’s approved lenders and notarized signatures from everyone who will be on title. Lenders get busy as deadlines approach, so the buyers who start now are the ones who make it into the lottery.