Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 40, Number 12, 1 December 2023 — A New Day for Hawaiian Homelands Collaboration Between OHA and DHHL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A New Day for Hawaiian Homelands Collaboration Between OHA and DHHL

V LEO 'ELELE V ^ TRUSTEE MESSAGES "

When most people think about the Hawaiian Homelands, the image of a long waiting list of 29,000 people comes to mind. Many of us personally know stories of Hawaiian beneficiaries who have waited their whole lives never to obtain a homestead. This image has persisted despite the fact that the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) has a constitutional responsibility to improve the lives of Native Hawaiians by administering lands for homesteads.

The term "land rich but cash poor" has characterized the Hawaiian Home Lands for nearly a century. The land has been there, but the funds for water, electricity, roads, and other infrastructure have not. In a landmark move, 2,515 Hawaiian waitlisters took legal action against the State of Hawai'i in the case known as Kalima v. State ofHawai'i. The case exposed the state's breach of its duties as trustees of the Hawaiian Home Lands Trust. The case led to a $328 million settlement, offering some solace to the affected beneficiaries. However, this hnaneial redress is just a step, albeit a significant one, on the path to ensuring Hawaiians acquire homesteads. Fortunately, there are also major efforts underway. 2022 brought a glimmer of hope as the Hawai'i State Legislature allocated a historic $600 million to DHHL. This funding aims to expedite the development of more homestead lots and essential inffastructure. It is a crucial step towards finally reducing the waiting list and fulfilling DHHL's constitutional

responsibility to house Hawaiians on homesteads. DHHL has seized the opportunity, breaking ground on various projects across the Hawaiian Islands. Notable developments include Ka'uluokaha'i on O'ahu, Pu'unani Homestead on Maui, La'iopua Village IV on Hawai'i, Hanapēpē Phase II on Kaua'i, and the Ho'olehua Water System improvement project on Moloka'i. These initiatives signify progress and are models for future work. DHHL is also pursuing inno-

vative solutions to house Hawaiians during the waiting period. For example, the Honolulu City Council has approved DHHL's first rental housing project. This 23-story building in Mō'ili'ili, slated to replace the Stadi-um-o-Drome bowling alley, will offer 278 affordable apartments exclusively to Native Hawaiians, providing a tangible solution to the housing crisis. Also, one of my first responsibilities when I heeame an OHA Trustee was to lead a committee tasked with reviewing OHA's annual $3 million commitment to DHHL. These funds were used to help DHHL pay down interest on revenue bonds that were

used to hnanee infrastructure projects. The projects resulted in the development of nearly 500 homesteads for Hawaiian families. This partnership between OHA and DHHL is a positive start, but there are other possibilities worth exploring such as: • Collaboration on developing more affordable rental housing projects that offer interim housing to beneficiaries awaiting homesteads. • Pursuing the development and leasing of DHHL condos and apartments as an alternative form of homesteads. • Fostering commercial development on select DHHL lots to generate revenue to fund additional homestead development projects. Now is the time for cooperation between OHA and DHHL in the spirit of "e hana kākou." Let's work together to ensure that Hawaiian Home Lands heeome a symbol of empowerment, resilience, and justice for generations to eome. ■

Keli'i Akina, Ph.D. Trustee, At-Large

Trustee Akina with Lt. Gov. Sylvio Luke, Moui County Couneil Vice Choir Yuki Lei Sugimuro ond beneficiories ot DHHL's groundbreoking event ot Pu'unoni subdivision on Maui in Moy 2023. - Courtesy Photo