Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 32, Number 1, 1 January 2015 — OHA budget request will emphasize leveraging state funds [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OHA budget request will emphasize leveraging state funds

By Harold Nedd Atwo-year budget that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs intends to present during the upcoming 2015 Hawai'i legislative session is beginning to take shape. The proposed plan would eall for leveraging an estimated $7.4 million in state funds to help maintain some visible signs of

progress by helping Native Hawaiians and others improve their heahh, secure stable housing, upgrade skills in reading and math, move up the socioeconomic ladder, make ends meet and protect legal rights. The state's return on this investment over the next two years would be more than $20.5 million. "For that reason, it is with enthusiasm and hope that OHA plans to request $7.4 million total in state

funds for the 2016-2017 fiscal years to use as leverage to heavily invest over the next two years in addressing six specific areas that are ultimately about helping statewide efforts to strengthen families and communities," said Kamana'opono Crabbe, Ka Pouhana and Chief Executive Officer at OHA. OHA' s proposed budget request comes at a time when it continues to work closely with eommuni-ty-based partners to bring new attention, needed resources and a strong policy voice to addressing

some urgent needs considered cntical to efforts to steer Hawai'i in a desirr . able direction.

Speaking recently at an investiture ceremony rr attended by Gov. David

Ige and other high- . ranking state offia-

ciats, L.raDDe k mentioned

that OHA remains encouraged by some visible signs of progress with efforts to improve conditions among Native Hawaiians. In the months ahead, the immediate ehallenge will be maintaining some of this positive momentum as demand remains strong for OHA grant money to help address issues in housing, education, heahh, ineome, and social as well as legal services.

At the same time, nonprofit organizations are increasingly tailoring marketable services to OHA priorities to help them stay afloat and meet critical needs across the state. These are the same eommunity partners that have proved their value by enhancing OHA's efforts to play a strong role in helping create a solid future for Native Hawaiians and all people of Hawai'i. For example, OHA research shows that Native Hawaiian students who participated in the Hawai'i StateAssessments in schoolyear 2012-2013 tested at 64 percent proficiency in reading and 49 percent proficiency in math. Those figures represent a significant improvement from the 2009-2010 school years, when Native Hawaiians tested 55 percent in reading and 32 percent in math, according to OHA research. In the year ahead, OHA is expected to renew its focus on closing the stubborn achievement gap that separates Native Hawaiian students from their peers across the state. Of the $7.4 million requested fromthe state, about $1.2 million would go to closing achievement gaps that threaten to undermine the future success of Native Hawaiian students. When leveraged with matching funds from OHA and community partners, the total for education would be increased to $2 million over the next two years. For another example, OHA research shows that its efforts have resulted in a higher percentage of Native Hawaiians who are living healthier. The percentage of obese Native Hawaiians decreased

to 39 percent in 2013 from 44 percent the previous year. Of the $7.4 million requested from the state, an estimated $920,000 would go to encouraging Native Hawaiians to eat healthier and become more physically active. When leveraged with matching funds from OHA and community partners, that investment in improving health would increase to $1.8 million over the next two years, according to research by OHA.

In addition, OHA's research offers some encouragement for the organization's efforts to improve a sense of eeonomie well-being among Native Hawaiians. In 2013, the homeownership rate for Native Hawaiians steadily increased for the fourth consecutive year to 57 percent, whieh represents 38,936 homeowners. Of the total state funds requested in the proposed budget, an estimated

$910,000 would go to helping Native Hawaiians obtain housing, in part, by becoming more creditworthy and better at managing financing. When leveraged, the state's return on what OHA considers an investment in helping to improve Hawai'i's homeownership rate would be an estimated $5.8 million over the next two years. To round out the other six areas targeted in the proposed budget, OHA is focused on leveraging over the next two years potentially: • $910,000 from the state to heavily support career-training programs aimed at getting a higher percentage of Native Hawaiians better ready for Hawai'i's workforce. When leveraged with matching funds from OH A and its community partners, the state's return on the investment would be $2.3 million over the next two years. • $830,000 from the state to heavily invest in providing emergency services to help prevent Native Hawaiian families from succumbing to unforeseen ūnaneial hardships as well as assistance with ūnaneial planning to help more Native Hawaiians make smart-money decisions. When leveraged, the state's return on this investment would be about $1.3 million over the next two years. • $1 million to continue to address the high demand for legal services considered critical for perpetuating Native Hawaiian culture as well as efforts to ensure important state laws passed by the Fegislature are enforced to benefit all of Hawai'i's people. ■

It is with enthusiasm and hope that OHA plans to request $7.4 million total in state funds for the 20162017 fiscal years to use as leverage to heavily invest over the next two years in addressing six specific areas that are ultimately about helping statewide e£forts to strengthen families and communities." — Kamana opono Crabbe, OHA Ka Pouhana and Chief Executive Officer,