Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 39, Number 8, 1 August 2022 — Vicky Cayetano [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Vicky Cayetano

1 1 Working with the legislature, my first act as governor would be to proclaim a State of Emergency to accelerate the development of affordable homes. I will lead with a sense of urgency and work to enact policies that allow for expedited approval of construction permits. This includes accelerating housing projects taking plaee within the Department of Hawaiian Homelands. My affordable housing plan contains three elements: rent-to-own, dedicated workforce housing and affordable rental communities. Rent-to-own is aimed at those unahle to make a down payment on the purchase of a home but could manage monthly payments. Onee the cost of the unit is reached with the monthly payments, the state would offer the tenant title to the unit. Dedicated workforce

housing begins with identifying under-utilized state lands to allocate affordable rentals and housing for three key sectors of our community - healthcare, education, and emergency response. Hawai'i has critical shortages in these professions and one of the key reasons is the laek of affordable housing. Affordable rental communities will be family and kūpuna friendly affordable rental projects that lend to a strong community environment. Understanding that eaeh county is unique, I would also work with the mayors to ensure alignment and collaboration. I am committed to lead us in building affordable housing, keeping our kama aina home and our 'ohana together. I invite you to read my Affordable Housing Plan and more about what I would bring as governor at vickyforgovernor.com. 2 1 We cannot diversify the economy without first attracting businesses. This requires a more business friendly environment and a need to review the current business regulations. We cannot achieve food security without a prosperous agricultural industry. This requires investing in resources to help our farmers and ranchers. The Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Department of Agriculture must work in alignment to do this. Farmers and ranchers who are leasing state land from the DLNR need lease terms that are longer in order for them to make the appropriate investments. We must have a strategic approach at getting federal monies without compromising our loeal businesses. Achieving eeonomie diversity and food sovereignty depends on a robust agricultural industry where we ean export goods in addition to providing sustenance here at home. There's a wide net in agriculture - from produce, coffee, tea, beef, specialty sauces and snacks, etc. Any product that is uniquely and commercially Hawai'i helps to diversify our economy and reduce our dependence on out of state goods. 3 | While I would like to say there is an immediate solution, this requires building a pipeline of instructors, space, and partnerships. I would work to build this pipeline and outreach to experts for guidance. In order for the DOE to offer more immersion programs, there must be a greater pool of Hawaiian language teachers. Without them, DOE is unahle to make the shift that is needed. Ihe policies are in plaee that support its Hawaiian Studies Program and its Hawaiian Language Immersion Program, however a lean staff to accomplish the goals set forth is inadequate to provide more immersion classrooms. Partnerships with Hawaiian immersion organizations play a critical role in ensuring that cultural-based learning and projects are attainable. ■ 2.^^ 4. ^3