Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 28, Number 7, 1 July 2010 — HELPING HAWAIIANS BECOME HOMEOWNERS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HELPING

HAWAIIANS BECOME HOMEOWNERS

IBy Howard Dashefsky • Statistical information by Kealapualoke Hook I I elen Wai graduated from student to instruetor. B ut more importantly she made the leap I I from renter to homeowner thanks to a elass she took - and now teaches. "It's huge, the best job in town," said Wai. "To get Native Hawaiian families in a I I home, and to get them to understand the benefits of home ownership and the indeI I pendence that comes with it is a blessing." Wai, whose maiden name is Pelekai, educates Native Hawaiians on the benefits and potential pitfalls of home ownership through the Home Ownership Assistance Program, or HOAP.

"I get it. I've been there." said Wai. "I am a third-generation Hawaiian homestead lessee. I was one of 17 people in a three-bedroom home. We wanted our independence but we were so badly in debt we were told we would never get a home." HOAP, whieh is administered by the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and supported by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, offers educational opportunities in three key areas Native Hawaiians may

face in becoming homeowners or in preserving their land: hnaneial literacy, job training and placement, and addiction-treatment services. "We did a study to figure out why families were refusing Hawaiian homelands awards," said DHHL's Sam Moku, program manager for HOAP. "We thought maybe it was the wrong loeahon. But we found out they simply were not prepared. Maybe it was a laek of funds, maybe it was poor credit, maybe it was shame or embarrassment. So we developed this program in 2004." Moku says thanks to funding by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, this program is now able to reach out to more people, on every island. He also has the opportunity to help potential Hawaiian Home Land beneficiaries long before their homes are built. "The plan is to give the beneficiaries a eouple of years

lead time to get their finances and credit in order," said Moku. "Onee they are awarded a homestead property, the timeline still depends on their progress in terms of their savings and credit. If they are ready, they would get their home in the first phase of construction. If the families needed more time, they would be phased in as the project phases are completed."

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Helen Wai was in debt so badly she was told she would never own a home. She learned how to change that and now teaches other Hawaiians how to realize their dream of homeownership. Here, Wai is pictured in her Nānākuli home with her granddaughter Aulani. - Photo: Courtesy ofHelen Wai

Another facet of the program is a partnership with the Hawai'i Carpenters Union. A marriage that allows beneficiaries seeking employment to possibly play a hands-on role in building their own future. "Where we build our subdivisions, we will train our beneficiaries through an apprentice program," said Moku. "And when we start construction, the contractor will hire those beneficiaries, who will ultimately help to build their own homes." Another program offering educational assistance is Hawaiian Community Assets. The statewide organization just celebrated 10 years of helping Native Hawaiians. Executive Director Miehelle Kauhane says they see an average of 1,000 to 1,200 families eaeh year. "Our primary focus is education. From group workshops to one-on-one training," said Kauhane. "We want to educate potential homebuyers on saving for down payments, repairing their credit,

reducing their debt and getting qualified." Hawaiian Community Assets is the state's only nonprofit mortgage broker. Although the organization does charge the typical fees associated with home purchases, 100 percent of the funds goes back into the program to support its educational opportunities. But for everything it offers, Kauhane, like Moku, is quick to point out the educational process isn't a quick fix. "Most families are in the program 18 to 24 months before they heeome homeowners," said Kauhane. "There is a process, and there is hard work to be done. But the opportunities exist, and home ownership is just the beginning. Onee you own a home it opens the door to endless possibilities, from furthering a child's education to funding a small business start-up." Although the road to home ownership is often a difficult one, it's not impossible. And that's the very

message Helen Wai now preaches to her students. "The people I serve are people like me," she said. "I'mfromNānākuli. I was pregnant at 17, barely finished one year of college. I've been on that floor trying to figure out how to improve my quality of life. To have this program and the support of OHA is awesome. I eame from bottom up. I got into a home, and now I helped get my two children into their own homes. I'm so grateful to have the ehanee to help others follow my lead." ■

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SINGLE FAMILY H0ME MEŪIAN SALES PRIGES, APRIL 2008-2010

ISLAND '08 '09 '10 O'AHU $639,000 $600,000 $563,000 MAUI $577,500 $497,000 $477,500 HAWAI'I ISLAND $385,000 $239,900 $230,500 KAUAI $575,000 $550,000 $465,000 NUMBER 0F SINGLE-FAMILY H0ME SALES, APRIL 2008-2010

Sou!ces: Honolulu Board ofRealtors, Hawai'i lnformation Service, Hawai'i lsland Board ofRealtors and the Realtors Association ofMaui lnc. ESTIMATED PERCENTAGE 0F H0ME0WNERS PAYING 30% 0R M0RE 0F M0NTHLY IN00ME 0N H0USING: 2008 Non-Hawaiians Hawaiians 47% 44.3% Source: 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development suggests that individuals/families spend no more than 30 percent of their household ineome on housing to allow for other basic needs, including nutrition and health care and savings.