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The enactment of House Bill 2511, a $600 million endowment for Department of Hawaiian Home Lands beneficiaries, is a landmark event in the century since the homesteading trust was founded.
It was the largest element in a nearly $1 billion package of aid to address homelessness and the chronic shortage of affordable housing that has plagued Hawaii for years.
Gov. David Ige signed the DHHL bill on Monday, noting its historic importance. In particular, it’s aimed to address the mountainous waiting list, the roughly 28,000 people who are of at least half Native Hawaiian blood and qualify as beneficiaries under the federal Hawaiian Homes Commission Act enacted by Congress in 1920.
Even beyond the broad attention to housing issues, this legislative session represented a significant advance for Native Hawaiian interests overall.
Advocates saw several steps forward taken. The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) adopted a new approach, raising the profile of Hawaii culture among visitors to the state. The Native Hawaiian influence in the management of the Mauna Kea summit district, including the astronomy campus, increased with the establishment of a new management authority.
The Hawaiian Homes initiative, however, presents the most critical challenge to Gov. David Ige and the current leadership at DHHL, setting up the efficient execution of this homesteading push.
A Dec. 10 deadline is set for the spending plan to be developed, so that work must move quickly now. The department’s current director and chairman of the Hawaiian Homes Commission, William Aila, rightly urged beneficiaries to update their contact information to stay apprised of coming changes. That is certainly an important Step 1.
But the ultimate success of the $600 million law will depend on the next state administration, taking office in January. The money must be allocated by June 30, 2025, or it reverts to the general fund.
This raises what will be a key question for the gubernatorial candidates: What should be the approach taken with implementing HB 2511?
General policymaking direction is the work of the commission, but the agency’s top executive will be the one to keep the program on track. Filling that post will be crucial, because it’s all about the execution.
There have been some course corrections taken in recent years — providing rental options for beneficiaries who can’t afford a mortgage, for example. But the pace of completing units and offering help to those purchasing homes elsewhere — and moving people off the waiting list, a primary concern — has to be accelerated significantly.
Beyond DHHL, the 2022 Legislature also issued a call for Native Hawaiian leadership in other pursuits. The HTA’s newly adopted “destination management” efforts to mitigate the impact of tourism on Hawaii’s resources aims to enlist the work of a new contractor, the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement.
That nonprofit has expanded its reach, especially during the pandemic, developing an online sales platform for Hawaiian-owned businesses and handling applications for federal rent and utility aid. Its 21st annual convention kicks off Tuesday, and the central theme, “planting the seeds of civic engagement in the future generations,” seems especially apt.
Among the tasks needing leadership will be the newly authorized Maunakea Stewardship and Oversight Authority, tasked with accommodating both astronomy and other interests within the summit. The authority will be held accountable for finding the right balance.
Overall, these moves represent a long-overdue empowerment for Hawaii’s indigenous population. Given more of the voice in governance and resources that they deserve, Native Hawaiians must rise to meet the moment.
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