Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 31, Number 12, 1 December 2014 — YEAR IN REVIEW [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

YEAR IN REVIEW

he past 12 months have brought attention to the various B ways OHA fulfills its purpose by providing resources, B advocating for Native Hawaiians and facilitating B collaboration. B Among the examples is OHA's commitment in March to encourage Native Hawaiians to participate in the pro- ™ cess of building a Hawaiian nation. The effort won support from a diverse group of leaders who have been prepared to help shape a process and determine the options involved in nation building.

OHA's emphasis on improving its effectiveness as the state's 13th-larg-est landowner took shape in 2014, when its Board of Trustees created a committee on land and property to oversee the acquisition and management of all lands owned by OHA, as well as approved a request to add a land director to the agency's seven-member executive team. Another highlight from 2014 is the $12 million in grant money OHA made available to community-based organizations focused on such priorities as reducing obesity; increasing family income, homeownership and housing stability; improving test scores; valuing history and culture; and achieving pae 'aina sustainability as a responsible steward of land and water. In 2014, OHA also continued to meet growing demand for help paying for college, awarding $550,000 in scholarship money to students. Good news from OHA also kept coming again in 2014 for the 17 jrtj Hawaiian-focused charter schools that were awarded a $1.5 million grant to help meet growing enrollment, which climbed this year to 4,224 from 4,033 the year before. At the same time, a study released this year revealed the effectiveness of two OHA loan programs. Among key findings was that 97 percent of Hawaiian businesses and consumers who took advantage of the Malama Loan Program and the Consumer Micro-Loan Program felt they would have been worse off without the assistance. Since it was created, the Ma lama Loan has been tapped by an estimated 2,000 borrowers who received more than $34 million to start businesses, improve homes, consolidate debts and continue their education. Similarly, the Consumer Micro-Loan has bailed out more than 400 borrowers who have stumbled on emergencies ranging from auto and home repairs to funeral and legal expenses.