Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 15, Number 7, 1 July 1998 — Raising the roof [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Raising the roof

AMONG THE most successful and beneficial of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs' programs for the betterment of Native Hawaiians is self-help housing. In a unique partnership among the Habitat for Humanity, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands a winning combination of skills, money and land is providing

homes to families at a cost of less than $50,000 per house. The formula for this success is 1 percent inspiration, 1 percent presentation and 98 percent perspiration, or, more precisely, the "sweat equity" or "equivalent cash value" contributed by homeowners in helping to actually build their houses. This approach gives a new and deeper meaning to "raising the roof ' and allows families to transform their understandable frustra-

tion about the cost and availability of housing into truly eonstructive group efforīs. There are a number of not-for-profit corporations that organize and administer self-help projects, and one of the best and most successful is the Kaua'i Habitat for Humanity initiative headed by LaFrance Kapaka-Arboleda. The Kaua'i Habitat for Humanity (KHH) was formed two weeks after Hurricane 'Iniki devastated the island of Kaua'i. Receiving a $500,000 grant from Habitat International, LaFrance successfully matched these monies with funds from various humeane related disaster agencies, donations from churches and contributions from the community at large. In the first vear, KHH built 15 homes, 1 3 on DHHL properties in Anahola and Kekaha. Recognizing that homesteaders who had received "raw land" awards

were especial(y pressed to build, KHH began to expand its program. In 1993, the Kaua'i Habitat applied for and received two capacity grants from OHA as the seed money to continue building for Hawaiians. Given a $1.7 million nointerest loan from OHA, KHH has eompleted another 57 homes. Among those able to move into the home they helped to build were Abraham and Eliza Niau. Originally from Ni'ihau, the Niau family waited 37

years for a DHHL award and were afraid they could not qualify for the mortgage financing required for a house. With the assistance of KHH and OHA, and their own hard work, they are moving into their new home later this month. The accomplishment of the Niau and other families isn't measured solely as the "pride of ownership" in a new home. They know they have given a minimum of 1700 hours to their

family, they have received a monthly stipend of $830.00 to reward their work and, with the comp!etion of the required hours. they are awarded a $4.725 educational grant that ean be used for college tuition. Often, such success cannot be copied or exported. However, with the leadership of KHH and substantial funding from OHA. Habitat for Humanity affiliates on Moloka'i and Maui have also been established. The Honolulu and Hilo affiliates are expanding. This statewide effort to provide homes for Hawaiians is receiving a total of $10 million in support funding from OHA - a needed and worthwhile investment in the future of our families. Together OHA, DHHL. Habitat for Humanity and Hawaiian families aren't just constructing homes; they are raising the roof and building better lives. ■

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