Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 36, Number 8, 1 March 2019 — OHA Must Do More to Solve the Hawaiian Home Lands Problem [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OHA Must Do More to Solve the Hawaiian Home Lands Problem

4 LEO 'ELELE v V TRUSTEE MESSSAGES /

ne of the greatest

|legacies left to the Hawaiian people consists of 200,000 acres set aside for

the purpose of homesteading. Constituting the third largest land estate in Hawaii, the Hawaiian Home Lands Trust is central to the vision of Prince Kūhiō, who wanted Hawaiian families to own their own land. The sad reality is that while the vast acreage of Hawaiian Home Lands Trust is more than sufficient to meet the housing needs

of Hawaiians, there are several barriers to the fulfillment of Prince Kūhiō's vision. To Prince Kūhiō, the ability to own land and pass it on to one's heirs was the basis of intergenerational weahh. Unfortunately, for many Hawaiians who have wanted their own homestead and even for many who have obtained a homestead lease, intergenerational weahh remains a distant dream. 27,000 eligible Hawaiians are currently on the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands waiting list, and thousands have died while waiting on the list. Most of us know people who have spent nearly a lifetime waiting to obtain a homestead. Sadly, by the time some applicants are called, many laek the ineome capacity to be able to take advantage of the offer. Individuals and families seeking hnaneing face a host of challenges. Banks will not give homestead lessees the best financing options, nor ean lessees tap into the equity of the land their homes are sitting on. Ironically, it was Prince Kūhiō 's original vision that Hawaiian homesteaders would be able to own their land in fee simple. He knew that intergenerational weahh was not built on leasehold land. In addition to problems individuals face, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands has struggled with a history of underfunding. This especially affects the ability to develop homes where costly infrastructure

for water, electricity, sewage, and

roads must often be built from scratch. This is why some have said that DHHL is land-rich, but cash-poor. Proposed Solutions Despite the challenges faced by DHHL in administering the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, many potential solutions have been offered, some more feasible than others: • Lower costs: Create tiny homes whieh cost a fraction of

conventional homes. • Build up: High-rise condominium buildings ean house more people on less land. • Develop rent-to-own programs. • Go high-tech: Where there is little or no infrastructure, build "smart" homes. • Reform the lease provisions so lease- • holders ean borrow against the equity of the land, to pay for construction or renovation of their homes. What ean 0HA do? While administration of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act is the kuleana of a separate government agency, the DHHL, bettering the conditions of native Hawaiians is the kuleana of OHA. That means that where Hawaiians are not getting the housing they need, OHA must be concerned. Not only is this notion eommon sense, it is also the law. HRS Chapter 10-3 tasks OHA with "assessing the policies and practices of other agencies impacting on native Hawaiians and Hawaiians, and conducting advocacy efforts for native Hawaiians and • Hawaiians." Currently, OHA pays $3 million a year toward fulfilling a 30-year, $90 million commitment to DHHL to help finance infrastructure costs. Unfortunately, beyond this agreement, the two agencies have no fonnal process for working together, nor any regular consultation. I believe OHA ean find ways to impact the Hawaiian Home Lands waiting list. For this to happen, OHA will need to embrace development of the Hawaiian Home Lands as part of its kuleana to better the conditions of the Hawaiian people. ■ i Trustee Akina welcom.es your comments and feedback at TrusteeAkina@oha.org.

Keli'i Akina, Ph.D. TrustEE, At-larye