Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 34, Number 8, 1 ʻAukake 2017 — ECONOMIC SELF-- SUFFICIENCY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ECONOMIC SELF--SUFFICIENCY

To have choices and a sustainable future, Native Hawaiians will progress toward greater self-suffiGiency. ▲ STRATEGIC RESULTS Native Hawaiian median family ineone will equal 100 percent or greater than the Statewide median family inoone. lnorease the peroentage of Native Hawaiians who improve their oapaoity to own or rent a home.

HAWAIIAN COMMUNITY ASSETS $470,000 Hawaiian Community Assets' Building Stability in Housing program provides culturally-relevant, place-based financial literacy education, HUD-certi£ied housing counseling and asset building products to low- and moderate-income Native Hawaiians to improve their capacity to own or rent homes. HCA expects to serve 1,000 Native Hawaiians through linaneial hteracy workshops that teach money management through a cultural lens, housing counseling to increase credit scores and decrease debt, as well as MATCH savings accounts and products that build and repair credit. During this grant cycle, HCA will expand its Credit Repair Loans to help first-time homebuyers reduce their debt-to-income ratios. HABITAT F0R HUMANITY MAUI $120,000 Habitat for Humanity Maui's Native Hawaiian l'inaneial Literacy & Homeowner Education program teaches Native Hawaiian populations on Maui and Lāna'i about effective hnaneial literacy strategies with the goals of long-term eeonomie self-sufficiency and successful homeownership. The HUD-approved, 8-hour curriculum covers homeowner readiness, financial literacy, credit and credit scores, becoming pre-approved for a loan, understanding different loans and mortgages, shopping for a home, budgeting, keeping your home during difficult iinaneial times, saving, home maintenance and energy efficiency. Case management is also available to class members who want personalized credit counsehng and an Individual Service Plan. EFFECTIVE PARENTING AND INNOVATIVE C0MMUNICATI0N, INC. $92,000 The Hawai'i Youth Opportunities Initiative (HYOI) Opportunity Passport provides financial literacy training and matching funds for asset purchases to young people ages 14 to 25 who were in foster care. Eligible asset purchases for Native Hawaiians include security deposits and first month's rent. At least 10 financial literacy training sessions will be offered over the next two years on O'ahu, East and West Hawai'i Island, Kaua'i and Maui. EPIC offers 1:1 matches for asset purchases including housing, medical care, education and vehicles.

200 N. Vineyard Blvd., Suite A300 Honolulu, Hl 96817 (808) 587-7886 info@hawaiiancommunity.net

970 Lower Main Street Wailuku, Hl 96793 (808) 242-1140 info@habitat-maui.org

1130 N. Nimitz Highway, Suite C-210 Honolulu, Hl 96817 (808) 838-7752 epic@epicohana.org

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▲ HO'OKAHUA WAIWAI

Photo: Hawaiian CommunityAssets helped Shaila Taifane and her son to move.

Photo: Hahitat Homeownen Varna Nakihei works with Family Servioes ManagerSophie Lee during a personalized credit counseling/ budgeting session.

Photo: Young people who spent time in foster oare leam to save and spend responsibly.