Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 18, Number 6, 1 Iune 2001 — Shelter is primary [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Shelter is primary

Charles Ota Trustee, Maui

My belief is housing is an important area for OHA involvement. In a survey conducted the SMS Research Group, there was a potential buyer's market of 11,900 home sites based on information provided by DHHL. Housing or shelter for Hawaiians will always be among the top priorities and we ean look at the issue from the long term perspective — that is, there is an immediate need for hundreds of homes if we are looking at just the DHHL waiting list. Besides that, there will be an annual need of at least 1,000 more new homes eaeh following year. In addition, there is a market for homes outside of the DHHL waiting

list for Hawaiians, and that number has been pegged at 10,500 potential home buyers awaiting an opportunity. All of this suggests the need is to minimize costs, Hawai'i having among the highest cost-of-living anywhere to contend with already and that would include housing. The need to save or conserve on home costs, suggests new lasting home building materials and innovative construction methods to bring housing costs within reach of many home buyers. First, would be the use of long lasting materials like steel for main framing and mass producing basic paneling, windows and doors to include wiring and plumbing,

whieh ean be costly otherwise. These figures do not include a third population that would want custom designed homes as another potential market of home buyers. This mass of potential home buyers demonstrates a back-log in housing for Hawaiians that should be addressed. Land is a costly eomponent of housing. Hawaiians should have access to ceded lands for housing and possibly reduce substantially the cost of acquiring a home because land would not be a large cost as is the case now. The recent creation of the Independent Development Account (IDA) Program would also be supportive in this process to build more

housing for beneficiaries on ceded lands. The IDA program is useful in helping to leverage an individuals savings by being matched by other sources of funds at least dollar for dollar and more. In the financing of these Hawaiian homes, a system of rent-to-own would enable Hawaiians to obtain a home otherwise not possible. And use other innovative financing arrangements, like balloon notes, guaranteed loans and condominium sharing of the cost of amenities and eommon areas. ■