Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 16, Number 10, 1 October 1999 — Including OHA in S. 225 makes sense [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Including OHA in S. 225 makes sense

By Kali Watson OHA Staff Attorney WHY SHOULD the Office of Hawaiian Affairs be included in S. 225, the housing bill presently before the United States Congress? To do otherwise would only help perpetuate the division between the 50 percent and the less-than-50 percent Hawaiians. As drafted now, even with the recent amendments, the bill still only assists native Hawaiians on Hawaiian Home Lands with 50 percent or more Hawaiian blood. The needs of our people go beyond the boundaries of Hawaiian Home Lands. The federal government and our eongressional delegation must address the housing needs of all Hawaiians. OHA's proposed amendments to S. 225 would expand the coverage and flexibility of this federal funding bill. They would not take away from the Department of Hawaiian Home Land's funding. They

appropriately seek additional funding for housing development off Hawaiian Home Lands that allows the less than-50 percent Hawaiians to also benefit. Contrary to what some people have been

told, these amendments do not reduce the blood quantum requirement under the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act or change the Act in any way. The changes proposed would allow

Native Hawaiians in Maunalaha, Miloli'i, Kīkala Keōkea (Kalapana relocatees), Kahana Valley and on other nonDHHL lands to access this federal funding and federally guaranteed loans. Hawaiians with kuleana land or 999year, non-DHHL homestead leases would be able to borrow to build homes. DHHL cannot legally assist these Native Hawaiians, but OHA ean. As a federally designated "housing entity," OHA could leverage its resources to more effectively assist DHHL homesteaders as well as serve the Hawaiians who are not under the jurisdiction of DHHL. The need among our people is great and DHHL eannoī meet it alone. We have the worst housing conditions of any indigenous people in the United States. With its staff and more than $320 million, OHA is a capable and necessary partner for DHHL at the federal and state levels. Over the last several years, OHA has paiticipated in several housing projects, See S.225 on page 15 1 I 11 IWillillll II ......

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PHOĪO: JAYSON HARPER Hawaitans living on DLNR lots in Maunalaha might benefit from S. 225 if the federal bill currently before Congress is amended to include all trust lands.