Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 30, Number 9, 1 September 2013 — Building homes for Hawaiʻi families [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Building homes for Hawaiʻi families

By Francine Murray Hawai'i Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope at its annual Build-a-thon happening across the Islands Sept. 13 to 15. A home offers stability for families to be able to grow, says Jean Lilley, executive director of the Hawai'i Habitat for Humanity Association. "Statistics show that the kids in families that own their home do better in school. They bring their friends home instead of going out," says Lilley. "Habitat has helped several singleparent families, and onee they got their house built, they went back to school, got a degree, a better paying job and got their kids through school and into college as well." Thus, building homes and building better lives. "This is something many of them have never had before. And here in Hawai'i people live in their homes for their entire life." Partnering with the state, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and with OHA for funds to build homes for Hawaiian families, Hawai'i Habitat oversees the state's seven home-building Habitat affiliates that build the houses and serve the families. Lilley recalled Habitat's project for a large Native Hawaiian family in Waimānalo. That extended family of about 12 included parents with their daughters who eaeh had children,

so the usual three-bedroom home wouldn't suffice. "The mother was very ill, in-and-out of the hospital during the project," Lilley said. "But she was the driving force in the family and from her hospital bed, was directing things." The family had been selected two years before construction started, and in the end a simple six-bedroom home was eompleted with a large lanai where the kids could play. "Onee they got in the house, those kids were running around and looking at their rooms and the house. You could see how excited they were. It was like a big party for them. At the dedication, all the neighbors eame. They had gotten involved and helped SEE HABITAT ON PAGE 13

Build<i>thon The annual Build-a-thon will be held Sept. 13-15. Company sponsorships are weleome and those interested in volunteering should contact their loeal affiliates.

> Kaua'i KauaiHabitat.org (808) 335-0296 > Honolulu HonoluluHabitat.org (808) 538-7070 > Leeward O'ahu Leeward Habitat.org (808) 696-7882 > Moloka'i (808) 560-5444

> Maui Habitat-Maui.org (808) 242-1140 > West Hawai'i HabitatWestHawaii.org (808) 331-8010 > Hale Aloha 0 Hilo HiloHabitat.org (808) 935-6677

For more information, visit hawaiihabitat.org or eall the Hawai'i Habitat for Humanity Association at (808) 847-7676.

Jean Lilley, executive director of the Hawai'i Habitat for Humanity Association. - Photo: 0HA Communications

HUA KANU Continued from page 5

"What we do is work one-on-one with potential applicants and help them to pull together their loan application, help them to capture everything about their business that they want to showcase to OHA and help OHA have the right information about whether or not the loan is going to be in the best interest of the loan fund." Solutions Pacific has technical assistants available throughout the Islands who meet with applicants, provide follow-up consultations by phone and even visit the applicant's facility. "That aspect of going out and being able to see and touch and feel these small businesses is really one of the amazing features that OHA has built into the loan fund," says Soon. The loan process includes two, two- to three-page applications: a business credit application as well as a personal credit application. For most applicants, Soon says, it's the document-gathering process - Ananeial statements, business plan, certificate of good standing with the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, and a statement of what they intend to use the loan for - that borrowers more often need help with. Soon also notes that the required business plan is a mueh smaller version than the expensive 30- to 50-page ones some banks require. But a business plan is important. It shows the applicant has put a lot of thought inio all aspects of the

business, including their position in the marketplace. It also allows them to communicate to others who they are, what they do and what their vision is. "We're there as a sounding board," Soon said. "We're there to support them as they're making what ean be a very big decision in their organization's future. We're really just there to be with them side-by-side in making that decision. "Every small business has a different set of things that they're strong in and areas that they need some support in," says Soon. "We work with them to help identify how to put their best foot forward." Onee completed, a process that takes about four weeks, the loan packages go through a three-part analysis - by Solutions Pacific, NHRLF and NHRLF's lending partner, Pacific Rim Bank. The packets then go to the loan fund's board of directors for a decision. Cameron says Hua Kanu offers Native Hawaiian small-businesses owners the opportunity to take their companies to the next level while giving the Native Hawaiian people the opportunity to become selfsufficient. "As we raise the bar for the business owners, they have the opportunity to hire more Native Hawaiians, teach them their business and show that we ean become competitive with the mainland or anyone else." ■ Marv Ali.ce Ka'iulani Milham, a Portland, Oregon-based freelance journalist, is a former newspaper reporter and columnist from California 's Central Coast.