Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 9, Number 5, 1 May 1992 — OHA tackles Hawaiʻi housing crisis [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OHA tackles Hawaiʻi housing crisis

by Christina Zarobe

Blocks away from pricey corporate ofnces, the homeless congregate at Aala Park's blue tent city. Replicated nationwide, the scene is Honolulu's version of the homeless crisis. Over 8,000 people were estimated to be homeless in July 1990, according to the Hawai'i Housing Authority's Homeless Study, the most recent fiqures available from the aqen-

cy. While these statistics are in themselves formidable, the breakdown for the number of homeless Hawaiians is staggering. The study found 28 percent of the 8,369 estimated homeless individuals were Hawaiians. On O'ahu, the figure climbs to 32 percent

and on Kaua'i to 31 percent. "To me, this is one of your basic needs, housing, especially for Hawaiians who are native to these islands," says Office of Hawaiian Affairs Administrator Richard Paglinawan. "Can you imagine growing up homeless? Those are our future leaders. We all have a part in this — state, county, private sector and OHA too. " In an effort to deal with the homeless crisis, OHA officials have established a housing division within the agency. Among the division's

responsibilities will be designing housing finance plans, developing emergency and affordable housing projects, and coordinating joint housing development projects with other agencies. The division will be headed by Stephen Kaneai Morse who was hired at OHA in mid-April. "OHA is really looking at whieh way we ean leverage our limited resources," says Paglinawan.

In its supplemental budget request to the legislature OHA has also requested $2 million for home loans to Native Hawaiians. Under the proposed joint project with the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, an interim home construction financing loan program would be established and administered by DHHL. Operated as a revolving fund, it would assist in creating housing on home lands for eligible Hawaiians. "In our small way, the $2 million is OHA's contribution. We would like to look and see what ean be done with other entities to create housing," he says. Paglinawan points out that if Hawaiians are able to get on homestead lands, it will open up more public housing offered through the Hawaii Housing Authority. The wait for HHA public housing is currently seven years. Chairperson of the State Homeless Task Force for two years, Paglinawan says housing ean be divided into three categories: emergency, transitional and permanent affordable housing. Many Hawaiians find themselves in the first two categories. "Most people don't understand the difference. Emergency and transitional shelters will not

solve the problem. The system is backing up. What is needed are low-rental units now. Most people are not at the point of home ownership," explains Paglinawan. In fact, Gov. John Waihee in his State of the State address in January noted that from 1980 to 1990 the average monthly rent for a singlefamily home on O'ahu increased from $660 to about $1,560, a jump of 137 percent. At the same time, however, the rental vacancy rates dropped as low as 1 percent, he added.

Despite receiving less than one half Hawaii's share of federal dollars last year, Waihee applauded the state's effort to find solutions to homelessness. "You see, in Washington, D.C. they think it's paradise out here and that we don't have any homeless neonle." he told

the legislature. But as a trustee of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs since its inception, Thomas Kaulukukui knows well the problems that face Hawaiians in paradise. And as chairperson of OHA's housing committee, he also realizes how serious the issue of housing is for Hawaiians. "I think it's very urgent. We've been bombarded with requests (for funding) from the eommunity. But the committee feeling is that instead of

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Richard Paglinawan

Thomas Kaulukukui