Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 19, Number 2, 1 February 2002 — New year resolutions [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

New year resolutions

This 2002 year the issues up for consideration would be to work on an office home for OHA as suggested by many Hawaiians, in recent surveys, rather than pay rent whieh has amounted to nearly a million dollars a year and I propose now to make inquiries about a suitable home site, preferably negotiating to build on ceded lands, īn the area of homes, the Committee on Budget and Finance whieh I chair, has reviewed the operating members Agreement between the parties, with OHA funding, the Labor Union and their funding, including Alu Like supplied training and the building contractor to assemble, All parties to jointly build affordable homes and the agreement terms have been found to be properly addressed, The 45 home demonstration project on Hawaiian Homes lands in Kapolei should start in about July of this year 2002 fabricating the manufactured homes, To produce quality homes in the upgraded community of Kapolei at affordable prices would be the final result.

My belief has been that under performing money managers in our portfolio should be replaced and some 15 percent of our portfolio be placed in land acquisitions, These acquisitions ean be used for future housing and be of benefit to the beneficiaries, At the full Board meeting of Jan, 11, the motion to replace under performing money managers was approved by the full Board, īn this case, diversification of the portfolio into other areas than stocks and bonds ean be a benefit and improve services to beneficiaries, My efforts to restore the OHA Education Foundation to an operating status are under way, Rather than dissolve the foundation and abandon the worthy efforts of many prior participants, the foundation may evolve into a receptacle for donations and gifts from donors that ean be matched and leverage OHA contributions to support education, both higher and at all levels, There are many students of average ability who would benefit from being able to continue or receive higher education, not only the most gifted who ean qualify for grants or loans, A

receptacle to hold donations, for a first time, would be readily available to donors from all parts of the community, As a member of the Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan Fund (NHRLF) Board, it has been gratifying to report that loans are

increasing, as participants learn to create their own jobs and become more self sufficient, Delinquency rates have declined substantially, ,And the maximum loan amount of $75,000 will be increased to $250,000 to accommodate other or more entrepreneurs than at the present time, The goals for the 2002 NHRLF Board will be to triple the amount of loans in dollars, provide

entrepreneurial training to 200 additional native Hawaiians and technieal assistance to 100 native Hawaiians, while also seeking to develop an incubator center of entrepreneurial excellence, It is gratifying to report that OHA has started to work with the Legislature to restore ceded land funding as identified in the State Constitution and other related or denied and challenged benefits, There are four issues that OHA requests of the Leg to consider in the 2002 session, Whieh includes a revised act 304 recently repealed by the Hawai'i Supreme Court, And autonomy like the University of Hawai'i enjoys, thirdly an interim ineome stream while a ceded land settlement is being finalized and lastly that as a state agency that OHA trustees are State employees who qualify for regular state benefits, My eoneem and interest is, if ī ean be of help to foster and watch over these activities that will affect many lives, ī intend to be involved and active, ■

lt is gratifying to report that OHA has started to work with the Legislature to restore ceded land funding as identified in the State Constitution.

Charles Ota Maui