Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 3, Number 2, 1 February 1986 — Positive Step [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Positive Step

By Rodney Kealiimahiai Burgess III T rustee-at-Large

On July 14, 1982, the Federal-State Task Force on the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act (HHCA) was jointly established by the United States Secretary of the Interior and the State of Hawaii. The formation of this Task Force eame as a result of grass roots efforts from the Hawaiian communities throuqhout the state whieh

pressured the state for many decades to correct flaws in the HHCA. One of the problems whieh the Task Force faced was the homesteading program whieh showed no prospect of accommodating the nearly 8,000 applicants on the waiting lists. Many of the applicants had waited for over 30 years for an award. It was eommon for beneficiaries to die while on the

waiting list. Moreover, estimates for basic site development costs for residential subdivision such as surveys, roads, utilities and lot grading, average $40,000 per lot. It was estimated that $250-300 million would be needed to accommodate all beneficiaries on the waiting list. Even if DHHL directed all its revenues towards site improvements to accommodate the 8,000 beneficiaries on the waiting list, and if there was no inflation in construction costs, it would take until the year 2025 to eliminate the 1983 waiting list. Over 42 years! An impossible task. No wonder all the frustration for over 60 years. The Task Force recommended in 1983 an ACCELERAT10N PROGRAM to meet the existing beneficiary demands as represented by the DHHL waiting lists. Simply stated, the strategy was to concentrate DHHL staff resources on the existing land inventory and to subdivide these lands on paper and distribute these parcels to beneficiaries on the waiting list. Today that goal has become a reality. In 1985, DHHL made over 1,000 accelerated awards. This year, they are awarding 1,500 and next fiscal year another 1,500 awards. That is a total of 4,000 homestead awards in three years. Fantastic! Many people have said "now what about site improvements." That is the next step. With an award in hand, beneficiaries and DHHL have become progressive. For this year's legislature, DHHL is requesting authority from lawmakers to award general leases for homesteading purposes. General leases will allow beneficiaries to qualify for conventional financing from sources outside DHHL thereby relieving DHHL from financing site improvements. It also gives the beneficiary an opportunity to assist DHHL in lobbying with the legislature for funds where necessary. The acceleration program is not an end in itself, but it is a POSITIVE STEP forward. We must acknowledge the positive work that DHHL has done. We must acknowledge the efforts of all organizations and grass roots efforts in bringing this program to fruition. It is time to work together, NOW. Keep stepping forward and get involved. The program is on the move and its progress wil! depend on how we all move together. ONIPA'A. Editor'sNote: TrusteeBurgesswasar ,ember of the FederalState Task Force on the Hawaiian Home s Commission Act and chair of the Committee on Accelerated Awards. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs provided $50,000 funding for the Task Force. OHA endorses and supports DHHL 's package for accelerated awards.