Honolulu officials will respond tomorrow to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s demand that the city pay back federal grant dollars that appear to have been misspent by a Central Oahu nonprofit.

This is the just the latest step in a years long saga between the city, HUD and the embattled nonprofit ORI Anuenue Hale, Inc., which provides services to the elderly and developmentally disabled adults.

HUD has said the nonprofit has misused nearly $8 million in federal grant dollars the city gave ORI and is now asking the city to repay the funds.

Mayor Kirk Caldwell called for an independent investigation into HUD’s findings. His managing director, Ember Shinn, and lead city attorney, Donna Leong, spearheaded the investigation along with a private investigator.

Shinn and Leong are scheduled to present the results of their findings Friday morning at 10:15 a.m. along with Community Services Director Pamela Witty-Oakland.

—Nick Grube