Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 12, Number 4, 1 April 1995 — OHA Update [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OHA Update

Kupuna housing project

Affordable rental units for elderly Hawaiians took a major step closer to becoming a reality in February when the Hawaiian Homes Commission (HHC) approved the issuance of a 65-year lease to a site in Waimānalo. The kūpuna housing project would create 49 rental units for low-ineome elderly Hawaiians on Hawaiian home lands and three Hawaiian-run residential care homes run to service kūpuna with special health and transportation needs. The units would be built on a seven-acre, vacant site across ffom Waimānalo Beach Park. OHA had received funding for the project from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle but OHA trustees did not want to use the money until there was site approval by the HHC. The Commission approval paves the way for OHA to begin project

planning and pre-development. This will include an environmental assessment, design work, and the hiring of a development coordinator. A memorandum of agreement is now being prepared whieh will lay out conditions that OHA must meet in order for the Hawaiian Homes Commission to issue a lease agreement.

OHA to hoId self-help housing workshop

OHA's housing division is presenting an all-day self-help housing workshop Thursday, Apiil 13 as an adjunct to the Native American Indian Housing Council convention (Apnl 9 - 12). The first half of the day will be spent on an overview of federal housing initiatives and programs, featuring discussion by Native American representatives of the federal government's Indian Housing Authorities. Federal housing finance programs and the restructuring of HUD (the Department of Housing and Urban

Development) will also be covered. Participants will spend the second half of the day discussing current and future self-help and community development projects here in Hawai'i. The session will present an opportunity to find out whieh organizations are currendy conducting self-help projects and what projects are being planned or will be initiated over the next five to seven years. Subjects to be covered include costs, financial resources, and in-kind services. Office of Hawaiian Affairs housing officer Stephen Morse says

OHA is looking to greatly expand its self-help housing projects and significantly increase the number of self-help units being constructed. "We want to base our efforts on Kaua'i Habitat for Humanity's new project (100 houses over three years), using their effort as a model that could be replicated statewide," he says. The workshop will be held at the Hawaiian Regent Hotel from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Participation will be limited to the first 100 to register. For more information eall OHA's housing division at 594-1902.

OHA to present language award The Offīce of Hawaiian Affairs will again present the OHA Hawaiian Language Award at this year's Merrie Monarch festival. The awaid goes to the dancer in the Miss Aloha Hula competition (solo) exhibiting the highest achievement in Hawaiian language/oli. The winner will receive a cash prize.