Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 8, Number 2, 1 Pepeluali 1991 — Hawaiians say education of keiki, housing should come first [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]
Hawaiians say education of keiki, housing
should come first
(Ed. note: This is Ken lge's last issue of Ka Wai Ola O OHA. He has accepted an offer by the Honolulu Star-Bulletin to be a staff photographer. His writing, photographic skill and enthusiasm will be greatly missed.) By Ken Ige Assistant Editor Early education tops the list of nine areas of critical need for most Hawaiians, according to the Hui Imi Task Force for improving services for Hawaiians. After hour-long interviews last year with 408 Hawaiians and 232 providers of services, the task force has submitted its final findings and recommendations to the legislature.
There are no real surprises. Most of the study s findings corroborate what task force members have long suspected. The real value of this endeavor is that the report provides a firm foundation on whieh future legislation ean be based. Task force members said now that they have these recommendations and know what needs to be done, they need the support of the Hawaiian people in making sure the changes are made. Legislation will be proposed in response to some of these recommendations; and testimony of Hawaiians, the people actually affected by these services, will mean the difference between success or failure.
The task force is looking at ways to develop a "list of allies" who are willing to provide testimony concerning services to Hawaiians. Many of Hui Imi's recommendations are based on three overlapping themes whieh surfaced throughout the study: Living the Hawaiian culture The study found that many Hawaiians want their cultural values and practices to be more a part of everyday activities. By improving the availability, accessibility, and manner of delivery of services, the task force hopes to bring those values and practices into the lives and activities of individuals, not just family and community activities. The task force feels that when those values and practices become a part of eaeh individual Hawaiian's life, "the values and practices of Hawaiian culture become institutionali7ed."
Promoting the wellbeing of 'ohana and community "Acknowledgement of the importance of the family as the basis for dissemination of the Hawaiian culture and as the basic unit of the Hawaiian community is important," the report states. The task force found that "Hawaiians express a natural affinity for the 'ohana or the extended family" and that the community is strengthened with the well-being of the ohana. Taking charge To be in charge of their lives, people must be capable of making informed choices and responsible decisions. Hui Imi suggests Hawaiians participate in making decisions about their lives; take advantage of educational opportunities to prepare themselves to eam a living and contribute to society; and to participate in the ohana and the eommunity.
Recommendations of the Hui Imi Task Force: • Statewide coordination The task force recommends the continuation of a Hui Imi - like entity as a statewide coordinator of services to Hawaiians. This entity would not actually provide services but would act as advisor to its member organizations, identify needs, evaluate existing programs, recommend new programs and keep in touch with the Hawaiian community through various agencie§, media, meetings or surveys. The task force could be funded by special legislative requests, whieh would be administered through OHA's fiscal office. Prospective participating agencies and or-
ganizations would eome mainly from two categories: those that serve Hawaiians exclusively; and those that serve Hawaiians and non-Hawaiians. The organizations would generally be private nonprofit and government agencies.
The task force would follow and support legislation that would implement its recommendations. Hui Imi members feel that the continuation of a task force would enable member organizations to exchange suggestions and assistance toward better implementation and operation of programs. • Coordination in the Community The task force also found that Hawaiians are more likely to use services that are provided by someone in their own community or 'ohana. Hui Imi reports that organizations such as Hawaiian Agencies and Organizations (HAO) are very knowledgeable about services available to Hawaiians and ean assist by referring clients to appropriate service providers.
Although the task force feels matters eoneeming the fostering of such organizations should be left to the individual communities, the report offers Hui Imi's assistance in providing additional information to the existing organizations. The task force could help in setting up an organization of service providers in communities that show an interest. Hui Imi also suggested the fostering of eom-munity-based, "Hawaiian style" service centers that would make services more accessible and eulturally acceptable to Hawaiians who might wish not to go outside the community for help. Multiservice centers might include a family support center, youth center or senior center. A family support center for example could offer services like financial support, child care, eounseling, health services, courses on how to deal in parenting problems, planning family meals or even readinq and arithmetic.
Youth centers would be a plaee where Hawaiian youth congregate after schooi. These centers could offer courses or activities related to selfdevelopment, social skills, art and athletics. Youth centers would be planned to provide support for working parents. Hawaiian senior citizens could gather at senior centers during days they might otherwise be home alone. There they could participate in cultural and social activities, meals, health care and educational programs. Matters concerning specific components of community-based service centers should be
determined by the individual communities, according to the task force. • OHA's role The task force would like to see OHA establish a master plan for the delivery of services to Hawaiians. OHA would attract funding from both private and public sources and assist in channeling these funds to appropriate agencies and organizations, as well as monitor and evaluate the delivery of services.
CRITICAL NEEDS After interviewing Hawaiians and those who provide services to Hawaiians, the report lists nine areas of critical need in order of priority: education; housing; health/medical; employment; social; eeonomie development; legal; culture; and eommunications. Findings and recommendations in eaeh area, are as follows: EDUCATION Hawaiians who were interviewed chose early education as the most important, needed service for their children; and with good reason. Hawaiians are a comparatively young ethnic group and one of the fastest growing groups in Hawaii.
There are some 60,000 Hawaiian children between the ages of five and 18. There are 27,000 ehildren under the age of four with 5,000 being born every year. By the year 2000 Hawaiian children will number over 100,000. Most of the Hawaiians that were interviewed relate education to higher-paying jobs and more rewarding careers Middle-aged and older Hawaiians who were interviewed see education as "the key to self-sufficiency and self-determination." The task force report added, "Streamlined and comprehensive services for education, retention and career counseling and application and qualification for financial aid are critical."
The task force listed, in order or priority, six areas of need relating to education: 1) Early education: education from infancy to age four or five years. The task force recommended expansion of early education services, particularly in rural areas and neighbor islands. These services would include pre-kindergarten programs and either free or subsidized child care. The task force feels these services would help the children and the parents, who would then be free to pursue their careers or further their own education. 2) Family support of education: keeping parents/family involved with children's education
Pre-kindergarten education ean also help parents by doubling as day care.
such as help with homework, parents' participation in school-related activities, or general encouragement of education. 3) Higher education: education past high school, including vocational school. This area would include counseling and financial support. 4) lntermediate/high school education: programs for this group would include alternative learning programs, peer/teacher/counselor programs that would help students with substance abuse, teen pregnancy, truancy and other delinquency problems.
5) Elementary education: children in kindergarten would benefit from programs that support teachers in the use of culturally sensitive methods in teaching Hawaiian children about Hawaiian eulture. 6) Partnerships: 85 percent of Hawaiian children are in public schools; the other 15 percent attend private schools. The task force favors more eooperation between public and private entities. Hui Imi also recommends increased support for remedial programs as well as other programs that prevent Hawaiian students from dropping out of school. Similarly, the task forceencouragesfamily support of education. The task force found that using Hawaiian culture in the process of learning, not just as the subject of learning, would likely increase the effectiveness of education. Learning among peers, having less competitively oriented learning environment and learning from kupuna were some of the suggestions resulting from interviews eonducted.
HOUSING "No Hawaiian should be homeless or lacking adequate housing in this his or her native land," the report states. According to a July 1990 report by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL), 28 percent of the state's homeless are of Hawaiian ancestry. And more than half of those are of more than 50 percent Hawaiian ancestry. The task force recommend that the state assist the Hawaiian Homes Commission in reaching its ambitious goal of awarding at least 14,000 units by the year 2000. This would satisfy the current waiting list.
Costs for infrastructure improvement alone, such as water and electricity, have been estimated at $1 billion dollars. This means $100 million per year is needed to meet infrastructure needs through the year 2000. Considering the department's average yearly funding of $15 million for the last four years, an additional $85 million per year is needed if the commission is to reach its goal. The addition of home-building costs double the figures requiring a total yearly amount of $185 million. The task force recommended that the state assist make additional lands available for housing es pecially in, but not limited to, areas with predominantly Hawaiian populations of more that 50 percent Hawaiian ancestry.
Hui Imi would Iike the state to work with Hawan Finance and Development Corporation (HFDC), OHA and DHHL to: develop multi-family housing for homeless single-parent families and single adults; help Hawaiians with finding lower mortgage financing; and develop programs so that Hawaiians ean be involved in the construction of their own homes. Finally, the task force recommends the state eooperate with the Department of Human Services and the Hawaii Housing Authority to provide sliding scale rentals for Hawaiians and free public housing for those unable to get housing through the other programs.
HEALTH Papa Ola Lokahi (POL) was created in 1988 under a federal law whieh made "primary care, health promotion and disease prevention services" available to Hawaiians. That law, the Native Hawaiian Health Care Act, requires service organizations to put in $1 for every $3 of federal funding. Since the service organizations are helping Hawaiians who are generally not income-generating clients, however, the organizations have experienced difficulty in securing matching funds. Fortunately the Act pro-
vides a waiver whieh allows the organizations to not match the federal money "if it is not feasible." Hui Imi would like Hawaii's legislature to help Hawaiian-operated health care systems by establishing a reserve fund or appropriations on an asneeded basis. This would assist organizations in their efforts to meet the federal requirement of matchinq funds.
In the long term, the task force raised the possibility that Congress consider eliminahon of the matching fund requirement from the law as part of reauthorization of the Act this year. Currently, federal funds cannot be used to purchase or improve property or purchase major medicai equipment. The task force feels the state should help in building community centers and buying medical-related equipment for Hawaiian health care systems. The centers, the report states, would be low-cost and could act as multipurpose facilities.
The report includes recommendations from the Office of Hawaiian Health whieh coordinates the services under the Native Hawaiian Health Care Act. The Office's main suggestions eoneem eollaborative projects: joint committees, the report states, should hold hearings and share oversight accountability; joint projects should require joint budget presentations by department administrators and agency leaders; and finally a mechanism should be established to define responsibilities and ensure thorough administration of the projects.
EMPLOYMENT Hawaiians and service providers listed five critical needs in the area of employment: increasing basic skills; moving Hawaiians into higher level jobs and helping them with more career opportunities; work preparation; removing employment barriers; and employer sensitivity. Words and numbers To prepare Hawaiians to enter the work force, Hui Imi recommends the state help increase the basic reading and math skills of Hawaiians through schools and alternative education programs. Also in the schools, programs that would "nurture the professional/vocational aspirations of Hawaiian youth" might include internships,
mentorships and other opportunities for exposure to working role models. The task force suggests these programs concentrate on intermediate and high schools with larger Hawaiian populations. In the workplace, Hui Imi recommends the state work with employers in providing basic math/reading skills programs. These workplace programs would be be furnished through a Hawaiian agency to make them more accessible and eulturally acceptable to Hawaiians. Where are we now? The task force wants the state to work with
Hawaiian agencies to survey private and public employers to determine: the number of Hawaiians employed in the organization; the job levels they occupy; available career tracks for them; and requirements for job entry.
Work preparation To help Hawaiian youths prepare to enter the work force, the task force feels the state should begin at the primary and secondary levels to teach students how to deal with "pressure, stress, eompetitive and cooperative interaction, problem solving, negotiation and other social skills." The report states support counseling for Hawaiian students should be offered in the schools in a culturally acceptable manner. Other sp>ecial target groups should also be able to receive help in dealing with pressures of the work plaee and needed skills. The special target groups might include displaced homemakers, ex-offenders, the physically or mentally challenged and those entering or returning to the job market.
For Hawaiian adults already working but wishing to pursue higher education, the task force recommends the state help secure resources for financial aid, scholarships, fellowships, classroom assistance, living allowances and tuition wavers. Hui Imi would also like to see public and private schools and organizations show their support by offering class schedules that are more accessible to those that work days. Breaking employment barriers The task force feels social service agencies should discourage continuing reliance on welfare assistance by exploring the use of alternative programs. Hui Imi would also like to see support services provided during the transition period between welfare and work. The social service agencies should also work continued page 14
For Hawaiians, employment wiīl be a step toward taking charge of their lives.
Kupuna ean be a wonderful resource for perpetuating culture.
Hawaiians say
from page 13 with the DOE anel help families with young ehildren find day or after school child care, according to the report. Employers' cultural sensitivity Just as in education, the task force feels employers should promote cultural understanding and that the state should see that employers are trained on culturally sensitive management strategies.
SOClAL ASSISTANCE Housing was again identified as the most critical need when Hawaiians were asked about social services. With the number of elderly Hawaiians increasing rapidly, the task force notes that there is only one facility, Lunalilo Home, dedicated to helping elderly Hawaiians. The team's recommendation calls for the creation of more retirement homes and nursing facilities. Hui Imi also suggests Lunalilo Home's successful experiences be considered in providing culturally sensitive care to elderly Hawaiians. Child care and dependent elder care were also cited as social needs. Many Hawaiians are unable to participate in the workforce because they bear responsibility for the care of their children or dependent elders.
The task force suggests giving tax breaks and business training to anyone interested in starting their own care service in their communities. Also, the report states, employers should be given tax incentives to establish care services for their employees' children and dependent elders. Financial help With Hawaii's cost of living one of the highest in the nation, many Hawaiians are barely making ends meet. Although the report is not specific, it suggests more financial help for the poor, retired, elderly and disabled.
Application forms Lengthy application forms ean discourage almost anyone. Hui Imi suggests that Hawaiian and public agencies develop eommon applieahon and intake forms that would work for most or all available social services. Any additional information needed by the specific service providers could be obtained as needed. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Hawaiians and service providers see a special need for entrepreneurship training, loans and funding for small businesses and communitybased eeonomie development. Entrepreneurship-related classes for high
schools statewide should be initiated by the state with curriculum development assistance by Hawaiian agencies, according to the report. The task force wishes to see pilot programs in plaee in rural, urban, private and public schools by 1993. The task force is also counting on continued state support for training programs such as Alu Like's Native Hawaiian Business Development Program. Other means of financial support should be sought from the State Department of Business, Eeonomie Development and Tourism, federal support from the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Eeonomie Development administration, and loeal financial institutions.
The Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan Fund Project, helping Hawaiian entrepreneurs who are unable to get financing through other lending establishments, should continue and also seek the help of commercial lending institutions to secure additional loan principal. Hui Imi wants OHA to create "a system of Hawaiian small business incubators strategically situated, possibly on DHHL lands, to house management and technical assistance, entrepreneurship training and loan deliberations conferences on eaeh island."
OHA should consider starting a "revolving micro loan program" for loans under $6,000. A pilot project should be in two Hawaiian eommunities by 1993, according to the report. The "Made in Hawaii" retail ehain, OHA's initiative whieh is intended to provide marketing, distribution and retail outlet support for Hawaiian entrepreneurs and non-Hawaiians producing goods in Hawai'i, should be granted non-competi-tion assurances and start-up support from the state (Honolulu Airport and Hawaii Visitors Bureau) and Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate.
A national bank community development corporation (CDC) is "a special bank subsidiary that addresses housing, community and eeonomie development and community revitalization objectives under the Office of Comptroller of the Currency guidelines," according to the report. Such subsidiaries, it notes, ean conduct real estate or business equity investment activities usually prohibited to national banks. The task force sees the formation of national and loeal bank CDC's, bank investment in CDC's and community development projects as possible ways to "stimulate direct equity investment" in community development.
LEGAL The law and Hawaiians The Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation (NHLC) is the only provider of legal service available exclusively to Hawaiians. The corporation's one office is in Honolulu, yet it must service the entire state. The physical remoteness from rural O'ahu and the neighbor islands accounts for why many Hawaiians don't make use of the service. The other legal service provider often used by Hawaiians is the Legal Aiel Society of Hawai'i. It has offices in rural and neighbor islands, but because of its high case load and limited resources, Legal Aid must restrict its clientele to extremely poor people and only complex family law cases are accepted. Legal Aid Society serves Hawaiians as well as non-Hawaiians.
Despite the fact that many Hawaiians do not know about NHLC, the corporation has not been able to service all of the requests for help that it has received. NHLC's current case load is 1,000. The NHLC has been reluctant to promote its services more broadly to avoid false expectations, according to the report. The task force's recommendations include following NHLC's long-term plan to increase state and federal funding and double the number of attorneys over the next five to ten years. NHLC corttinued page 23
Hui Imi final report includes recommendations concerning the increasing population of kupuna.
Education first
from page 14 also hopes to attract private sources of money as well. Title or genealogy searches are usually not accepted by NHLC and clients are referred to title companies and consultants whieh they often can't afford. Hui Imi wants the !egislature to continue supporting the Hawaiian Genealogy Project, whieh soon plans to establish community-based services at little or no cost to Hawaiians.
CULTURE Many of the Hawaiians interviewed are interested in learning more about Hawaiian culture — language, arts and history. Hawaiian culture centers would improve the accessibility and availability of native Hawaiian traditional culture and arts programs, providing "a plaee where Hawaiians ean be immersed in their own culture," according to the report.
COMMUNICATIONS As mentioned, Hawaiians often don't utilize services simply because they don't know about them. Information about days and times of services, costs, locations, telephone numbers and eligibility requirements should be available at the suggested community centers, loeal media and also through services like the ASK-2000 telephone number, accordinq to the studv.
ASK-2000 (275-2000) is a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week telephone information and referral service that anyone in the state ean use toll-free. When a caller has a problem and does not know who to talk to, this service ean provide a telephone number and address of a appropriate agency. An operator answers the phone, listens to the caller's problem and refers him/her to one of 3000 government and non-profit agencies. No private businesses are listed, however, at this time.
Strategy for well-being Asked about the great number of recommendations and whether it might be too mueh for the state to handle, task force chairman Thomas Kaulukukui Sr. said the large number of recommendations ean be attributed not only to the large and complex issues dealt with, but that 21 organizations were involved in making the recommendations. With nine areas of critical need and 21 organizations, "That's a lot of recommendations," he said.
Haunani Apoliona, the task force's vice-chair-woman, added that the task force has prioritized the recommendations. And Tom Dinell, who headed the second phase of the project, said that the final report "should be thought of as a strategy rather than a bunch of recommendations," and that the recommendations will be implemented over a period of time. The task force is confident that with the implementation of these recommendations, "the wellbeing of the Hawaiian people will be served and Hawaiians will develop the basis for making informed choices and responsible decisions in their lives."
Hui Imi hopes Hawaiian culture and activities, such as huia heeome more a part of Hawaiians daily lives.