MEDIA RELEASE

Hawaiian Homes Commission Chairman Alapaki Nahale-a announced the Hawaiian Home Lands Trust will host two meetings on the Big Island this week to discuss a new homesteading opportunity with applicants on the island waitlist.

The meetings are scheduled for:

* 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 14
Hawaiian Home Lands Kuhio Hale
64-756 Mamalahoa Hwy.
Waimea

* 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15
Keaukaha Elementary School Cafeteria
240 Desha Avenue
Hilo

The reason for the meetings are two-fold:

* To hear from the “top 100” applicants on the Hawaii Island waitlist to gather mana’o from the beneficiaries to assess how the department can best address the needs of applicants longest on the waitlist.

* To unveil details of the trust’s “Kauhale Pilot Project,” which presents a new style of Hawaiian homesteading opportunity.
Kauhale were traditional Hawaiian homesteads that consisted of multiple structures that served specific purposes — sleeping, eating cooking, etc.

The modern adaptation of Kauhale will feature multiple residential units that incorporate common living areas to be shared among an extended family on a single homestead lot.

The Hawaiian Home Lands Trust is looking to develop the pilot project on Hawaii Island in Keaukaha in Hilo and/or Waimea to assist in assessing beneficiary demand for such multi-family residential homestead units. Multiple lessees will likely be connected to the Kauhale homestead.

“This culturally-based project could potentially allow for a more affordable homestead option because family members on the lease could pool their resources together in order to qualify for a mortgage,” Nahale-a said. “Affordability and location of homesteads are the two most common reasons beneficiaries give for not accepting homestead offerings.”

The goal is to move a family in to a Kauhale by the end of 2012.

“We have mailed out more than 300 notices to applicants for this week’s meetings and we expect to make more announcements in coming months on other new projects,” Nahale-a said. “We want to be sure that our beneficiaries are receiving these notices so that they will be able to get the latest offerings from the trust.”

About 13 percent of applicant mailing addresses on record with the department are not current for various reasons and Chairman Nahale-a encouraged beneficiaries who have been on the Hawaii Island waitlist for 40 years or more to come to this week’s meeting.

Beneficiaries are also encouraged to update their contact information (addresses, phone number and e-mail) with the department. Beneficiaries can call, e-mail or visit Hale Kalanianaole or district offices to get necessary forms.

The form to make changes also may be found online at www.hawaiianhomelands.org/applications