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

BJ Penn

1 1 The housing challenges in Hawai'i are well known and represent a failure of leadership from our elected officials that has persisted for decades. They all talk about solutions during election season, but they never deliver. Addressing the thousands of people waiting for access to Hawaiian homesteads is one of my top priorities. The legislature recently committed $600 million dollars to the DHHL to address the waiting list for Native Hawaiians. I currently have a small team looking carefully at the legislation and the past actions of the DHHL and DLNR to make recommendations on how this money ean be used most effectively. It is time that everyone on the list gets what they have been promised. I believe this money could be used to leverage

mueh more investment that will allow us to finally live up to our promise as a state. Investing in eco-conscious housing solutions both for new development and restoring existing structures is also key. As is, the importance of making sure our sacred lands are being appropriately zoned and utilized with intention and homage to Hawai'i residents. The simple supply and demand is the main driver of cost and, knowing that, my team and I will take action to alleviate the massive pressure driving prices up. I don't believe the government ean or should build or manage housing. However, we ean provide incentives for the type of development that ean alleviate the supply shortage at the lower price level, while requiring that all projects hold developers and investors accountable to guidelines that protect sacred land and natural resources. 2 | If we are going to build a strong and prosperous Hawai'i we must address our dependence on the mainland and foreign countries for our food, energy and general eeonomie development. My administration will be committed to identifying, recruiting and supporting businesses and industries that allow us to move away from our dependence on others. We will build a sustainable Hawai'i through agricultural development, diversification of our energy sources and broader incentives for non-tourism related growth. In doing this our top priorities will be that anyone doing business in Hawai'i understand and respect our commitment to; stewardship of the land, education of the young and job opportunities for the people of Hawai'i. Our vision is one of a self-reliant Hawai'i that ean bargain from a position of strength. Geographically we are essential to the security of the mainland, but because we are so dependent we ean not use this to our advantage. This will change under my leadership. We will heeome self-reliant and therefore begin dealing with others from a position of strength. 3 | Here is another example of failed leadership from the people we have elected. Our legislature passed, and our governor signed a bill that they had to know couldn't be implemented without significant resources. My administration will make good on this promise based on the resources necessary to make it a reality. By the end of January 2023, 1 will require the DOE to provide my office with a complete report on their efforts to comply with this law to date, the full scope of the current implementation, and their estimation of the resources necessary to fully comply. The puhlie deserves to have a clear understanding of where we are. The legislature will be held accountable to provide adequate resources to support this program. ■ 1. 3. 2. ^ 4.