Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 40, Number 6, 1 June 2023 — Kaua'i Hawaiian Homestead Beneficiary Projects [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Kaua'i Hawaiian Homestead Beneficiary Projects

J KANAKA FORWARD ^ > ON THE HOMESTEADS '

By KipuKai Kuali'i A summary ofKauai projects developed by the Sov- . ereign Council ofHawaiian 1 Homestead Associations (SCHHA), Homestead Bene- , ficiary Associations ( HBAs ) ' and the Homestead Com-

munity Development Corporation ( HCDC ). SCHHA was founded in 1987 as a eoalition of HBAs from across the state. It includes more than 40 HBAs working together to advance good policy and the fulfillment of the promise of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act (HHCA). Registered with the U.S. Department of Interior, SCHHA is the only national HBA dedicated to both enrolled native Hawaiians issued a homestead lease and those on a homestead waitlist. An HBA is defined by the federal government in 43 CFR Part 47/48, as a self-government representing the interests of and provision of services to native Hawaiians defined in the HHCA. HCDC was founded in 2009 by SCHHA and its HBA members to establish a housing and eeonomie nonprofit developer to pursue and implement projects of HBAs statewide. Here are some of the Kaua'i projects we've developed together: Anahola Cafe. The Anahola Hawaiian Homestead Association and HCDC operates a nonprofit cafe at the Anahola Marketplace to create food industry jobs and workforce development opportunities, including business training for managing a food service operation. Anahola Marketplace. AHHA and HCDC cleared 10 acres of trust lands of junk cars and other dumped items to develop an open-air marketplace with a certified kitchen facility and renovated shipping containers to serve over 15 loeal micro-enterprise business owners. By providing affordable retail space, aecess to a certified kitchen space, and business support services the Anahola Marketplace is creating a stronger rural economy and job creation. Anahola Solar Facility. AHHA and HCDC invited Kaua'i Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) to pursue renewable energy through a solar facility on Hawaiian homelands in Anahola. As a result, DHHL leases 55 acres of trust lands to KIUC whieh developed a $50M

solar project, with 60,000 solar panels generating 12MW to the island utility grid. KIUC entered into a Homestead Community Benefits Agreement with AHHA through HCDC whereby we receive a share of the value of the energy produced quarterly for reinvestment in entrepreneurs and workforce housing. Halenani Street Apartments. The Association of Hawaiians for Homestead Lands (AHHL) and HCDC purchased six rental apartment units of studios and one-bedrooms in 2020 to preserve their affordability. We currently manage the units and maintain affordable rent levels for our tenants. Kumu Camp. AHHA and HCDC cleared 8 acres of trust lands at Anahola Bay replacing illicit drug use and garbage dumping with the development of a campground featuring 12 tentalows and three yurts, 15 campsites, a pavilion and bathroom facilities. We've been operating the campground sustainably for well over 10 years now. Office Facility. AHHA and HCDC purchased and renovated two abandoned and dilapidated residential structures on 0.5 acres of land creating nonprofit offices for affordable housing, financial literacy and homebuyer assistance, as well as a salon for a micro-busi-ness owner. West Kaua'i Enterprise Center. The West Kaua'i Hawaiian Homestead Association (WKHHA) and HCDC cleared 3 acres of trust lands of kiawe trees and overgrowth to develop a l,200-square-foot community facility in Kekaha. The center, built in partnership with Kaua'i Community College (KCC) and HUD, replicates KCC's Hawaiian Studies building floor plans. Youth Center Faeility. AHHA, HCDC and KCC utilized a U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) grant to develop a youth center facility located at Anahola Park currently serving more than 60 youth eaeh week, providing experiential learning and recreation in a safe environment. ■ A longtime advocate for Hawaiian HomeLands trust beneficiaries and lands, KipuKai Kuali'i is the newly elected chair of the Sovereign Council of Hawaiian Homestead Associations (SCHHA), the oldest and largest eoaliūon of native Hawaiians on or waiting for Hawaiian Home Lands. Kuali'i also serves as the Kaua'i County Council Vice Chair and the Anahola Hawaiian Homestead Association (AHHA) President.