Hawaii eyes thatched hale to ease homeless crisis
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A reconstructed hale stands as part of Kamakahonu, a National Historic Landmark, in Kailua-Kona. In the midst of Hawaii’s homelessness crisis, lawmakers and community members want to revive a Hawaiian tradition of living in thatched homes known as hale. They say the homes made from trees and plants could provide more affordable housing.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A hale, which is used mainly for teaching about cultural traditions, houses a canoe at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A restored hale that was originally on Kauai and used for sleeping stands in the Bishop Museum.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A canoe is stored inside a hale that stands at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
When Daniel Anthony spent the night sleeping in a traditional Hawaiian structure known as a hale, the sound of rain falling on the thatched roof made him feel like he was sleeping in the forest.
“This is the sound of aloha,” he said, recalling the experience. The hale, he said, are also a solution to a crisis of homelessness in Hawaii, which has the highest rate of homelessness per capita in the nation.
Anthony, lawmakers and community members are pushing to revive the Hawaiian tradition of living in hale, thatched homes made from local trees and plants, as a way to provide more affordable housing.
Though a bill to ease restrictions on building hale died after critics brought up safety concerns, advocates are trying to bring attention to a type of housing that celebrates culture and uses environmentally sustainable techniques to house the homeless.
“If we can use invasive species, which we’re saying is out of control, to construct housing in an area where they say we’re in a housing crisis, how is this not a solution?” Anthony said.
Homes based on indigenous architecture are found from Austin, Texas — where tepee-style homes are part of an affordable housing community — to Tahiti, where thatched homes lure honeymooners.
Building a hale can cost from $30,000 for a 180-square-foot structure to $95,000 for 600 square feet, including labor and materials, depending on size and location, according to rough estimates from Holani Hana, a nonprofit that builds nonresidential hale to promote Hawaiian cultural values.
Anthony believes he could build a hale for less — about $1,000 to buy parachute cord to secure the frame and thatching — using invasive species harvested from nature.
By comparison, the converted shipping containers Honolulu recently deployed to shelter homeless people on Sand Island cost $9,117 per unit for a 72-square-foot room for a couple, or $7,717 for a 49-square-foot room for singles, and each shipping container holds two couple units or three singles units, according to the city. An apartment can cost more than $325 per square foot to build, according to the Hawaii Public Housing Authority, or $195,000 for a 600-square-foot apartment.
Maui County was the first to include hale in its building code, giving the structures a sense of parity with Western buildings.
Hale builders gather ironwood, eucalyptus or other trees for the frame, and pili grass, sugar cane or ti leaves for the thatched roofs and walls. But while sleeping in hale is allowed in some Hawaii counties, no cooking, open flames, electricity, extension cords or generators are permitted, and obtaining a building permit can be difficult.
Sen. J. Kalani English, who pushed Maui County to adopt its hale building code, envisions updating those standards to a modern interpretation of indigenous Hawaiian architecture. He has stayed in thatched homes in Tahiti and throughout French Polynesia, some with sliding glass windows and air conditioning, he said.
“I’ve always envisioned a traditional style structure — indigenous architecture — with Wi-Fi and Internet and TV and wall plugs and all of that stuff plugged into it,” English said.
English is hoping to encourage more people in Hawaii to be trained in the art of hale building, incorporating indigenous architecture traditions from Samoa, the Marshall Islands and other Pacific islands.
Francis Palani Sinenci, a master hale builder who has constructed more than 160 nonresidential hale in Hawaii, was hesitant to support widespread development of the structures to address homelessness.
“I cannot see hale everywhere, under the bridges,” Sinenci said. “One of them catches fire, they’re going to ban all hales.
“But I can see that the Hawaiians that are living on the beach because they’ve been displaced from their property, maybe they should have a place where they could build a hale for traditional living,” Sinenci added.
English co-sponsored legislation to encourage city and state officials to set aside land for hale building and to exempt the structures from some planning and zoning requirements, but state agencies and the Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting opposed the bill.
On Oahu’s West side, residents living near a homeless encampment envision helping residents build a village of traditional hale, including modern technology such as solar panels, said Marcus Paaluhi, a member of the Waianae Coast Neighborhood Board.
The head of the encampment, Twinkle Borge, said she’s excited about the idea of collaborating to build a hale as a community gathering space, but she’s unsure about turning the encampment into a hale village.
The encampment is on state land without a lease, and Borge is working to get nonprofit status to help them stay on the land.
“Any time that we can find ways to make it easier and cheaper for people to build homes, I think it’s worth supporting,” said state Sen. Maile Shimabukuro, who represents Waianae and co-sponsored the hale bill.
22 responses to “Hawaii eyes thatched hale to ease homeless crisis”
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This has got to be the most stupid of ideas yet! For $30,000 to $95,000 we can make something from the dark ages that is completely unsafe. And of course no homeless people smoke. They ALWAYS obey the rules too! Rolling on the floor laughing. Dumb and dumber.
Yes. Much too expensive.
This has got to be the craziest of ideas yet. For $30,000 to $95,000 we can make something from the dark ages that is completely unsafe. And of course no homeless people smoke. They ALWAYS obey the rules too! Rolling on the floor laughing.
I agree, if we are going to go back in time, I’d say caves would be a better alternative.
Here is another suggestion that is being implemented in Iowa. Maybe the tiny homes, which are very affordable to build, would be an answer. See this article: http://whotv.com/2016/04/07/joppa-proposing-tiny-house-village-to-replace-homeless-camps/
We should institute an pilot project with our lawmakers. Let’s house them in Hale O’Pupule.
Sorry, this is a really stupid idea. One match…
The problem is not the what, how or how much? It’s the where? Our government has turned a blind eye to this for years while letting foreign property purchases drive up the cost’s for locals. Now Mayor Carlisle’s homeless project at sand island is in jeopardy of closing because the city council and legislature’s feelings are hurt because of “Lack of Communication” by the Mayors office? Our elected officials are all clowns!
If you have ever slept in a thatched hale you would know that there is a very high risk of centipede bites. Yes, I know. On my hip. Mice also like the thatch. You could sleep under tarps for much less cost. They are not as attractive as thatched huts but you don’t have to spend the night worrying about the scurrying noises in the thatch.
State or City build Hale. Hale (or part of Hale) falls down, catches fire, results in vermin or other bites because building code does not apply. State or City get sued and pay millions. Yah, that’s a good idea.
yes fire hazard especially with chronic homeless because they dont respect property
“I’ve always envisioned a traditional style structure — indigenous architecture — with Wi-Fi and Internet and TV and wall plugs and all of that stuff plugged into it,” English said. Get real. These are not resorts in Tahiti and French Polynesia we’re talking about.
so degrading.
This is the stupidest idea. By allowing these type of ‘indigenous architecture traditional hale’ from Samoa,Marshall Islands and other Pacific islands, we will be attracting more these types of people who are a big part of our homeless problem to begin with. The ridiculous part is these are simple traditional housing, why would they be equipped wtih non-traditional modern features such as solar panel, wi-fi, internet, wall plugs ?
Fairy-tale concepts from lala-land.
This proves we have the Dumbest elected officials !!
Fixing the housing problem is an easy 3-step procedure and at a cost of under $1000 per homeless family.
1. Got to E-Bay or any public auction and buy a free and clear deed to a house in Detroit for $500. YES $500 (FIVE-HUNDRED DOLLARS) for a house, no additional zeros are missing! I see hundreds of these homes being sold for this average price all the time.
2. Cattle the the homeless onto a container ship destined for the mainland.
3. Upon arrival at the nearest west Coast Port. Order a Greyhound bus to drive the homeless to Detroit and upon arrival transfer ownership of the $500 house to each homeless person/family.
PROBLEM SOLVED!
Just let the homeless put their tents on the plot of land envisioned for these thatched hales. That is the cheapest alternative and the homeless are already used to living in their tents. If the homeless agree not to destroy them, build a restroom and a shower facility. Have the churches and charities bring their food, clothing, and blankets to these areas and ONLY these areas.
We can always count on lawmakers and their sycophants to come up with pupule projects to be paid for by the taxpayers. Yes, let’s build a whole bunch of hale…so what if they don’t meet building codes and cost more per sf than standard housing? In fact, while we’re at it, let’s dress up the homeless people like ancient Hawaiians and make it a tour bus stop. Might as well get full bang for the bucks, right?
How long would it take to get a building permit for this type of structure?
How long will it take to get a building permit for this type of structure?
Retarded suggestion–not even worth printing–how about this–take all the old cars that are ready to be crushed and recycled for scrap metal–use these as shelters–the single homeless get the 2 door cars–the couples get the sedans–the families get the vans–brilliant right–took me 10 seconds to think this up 🙂
The better solution–strengthen vagrancy laws–3 strike & you are out–after 3 arrests–you go to a detention facility–sort of like a concentration camp (10 foot high chain link fence) surrounding single wall barracks. The arrested serve a sentence — 1 month for your 1st detention/ 2 months for your second…and the amenities…NOTHING–no internet–no A/C–basic food (spam & rice + tuna & cabage–HOW is it paid for???…the detainees get to work on some industry at the detenion camp that benefits Hawaii communities–like an asphalt recycling –old asphalt(and it is all over the islands) is stripped and brought to these facilities and processed for re-use–
we solve many problems at once–1) PUNISH and NOT REWARD VAGRANCY–get these people off the street. 2) Separate the lazy people (80%) from the people that need mental health care(20%) & get help for the 20% 3) limit the money tax payers need to fork over for the homeless 4) we get our roads re-paved (this is what state & county government is supposed to be doing w/ our monies anyway) 5) Long shot benefit–maybe some of the homeless will get a sense self worth and work themselves out of detention living.