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

CHANGE

While hnaneial literacy training has been a staple of housing programs, individual development accounts (IDAs) are becoming increasingly eommon. Most of OHA's housing grantees offer IDAs, whieh are savings accounts in whieh the deposits are matched - in this case, by OHA grant funds - to help contribute to home purchase or other housing-related expenses, such as rent. Home repair training is a unique service offered by Nānākuli Hous-

ing Corporation (NHC), another OHA housing grantee. NHC executive director Paige Kapi'olani Barber explains that home maintenance is important because it protects a person's most valuable asset - their house. "If your home is in poor condition, you will not be able to get a home equity line of credit, whieh ean be used for medical needs, college and debt consolidation," she said. Barber also said that for many of her program participants who

are on a very tight budget, an unexpected home repair emergency ean quickly destabilize their hnaneial situation. "Being able to fix a kitchen sink on your own instead of

paying a plumber $200 is a big deal for a lot of people," she said. Another important service of OHA's housing programs is the one-on-one attention from eounselors, who serve muhiple roles for clients, from advocate with their landlords to parental figure holding them accountable. HCA program director Lahela Williams said that one of their first objectives with new clients is to gauge their commitment. "We tell them if you want it, you have to make it real, and then we are absolutely dedicated to help you reach your goals," she said. Barber and Williams both talk about counselors having to impress upon clients that securing stable housing is a long-term commitment that will take mukiple years, doesn't end with the acquisition of a home and includes persevering through unexpected setbacks, whieh they both refer to as "life

happens moments. Taifane said she's grateful for her HCA counselor, Rosalee Puaoi. "It feels so good to just to have someone who genuinely cares about you, to have someone in your comer rooting for you, saying 'you ean do it," she said. While Taifane recognizes how far she's eome in the last six months, she understands the challenges ahead. But her son provides her the inspiration to press on. "My son asks me, 'Mom, we are not going to move anymore, right? I tell him, 'No, this is our home now,"' she said. ■ k

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Shaila Taifane and her son in fheir new home, fhanks to Hawaiian Community Assets' housing program, whieh has helped Native Hawaiians get into homes. - Photos: Sterling Wong