Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 5, Number 3, 1 March 1988 — Only Few Applicants to Date; More Needed [ARTICLE]

Only Few Applicants to Date; More Needed

Mi$$ions in Grants Available to Native Hawaiians

By Deborah Lee Ward, Assistant Editor Ka Wai Ola O OHA Native Hawaiians ean benefit from federal grants available in the millions of dollars to projects to promote eeonomie and social self-sufficiency, but there have been few applicants to date, according to Ron Cettie, a consultant for the Administration for Native Americans (ANA). ANA is a conduit, or clearinghouse for funds from different federal agencies, such as Housing and Urban Development (HUD). ANA grants provide financial assistance to public and nonprofit private agencies serving native Hawaiians, as well as individuals, for projects promoting eeonomie and social self-sufficiency, through research, demonstrations, or pilot projects on Hawaiian homestead land. Cettie, a consultant for ANA through its Ameriean Indian Technical Services, ine., is the first ANA grant applieahon reviewer from Hawaii in 10 years and the only one in Hawaii. A former eeonomie development specialist for Alu Like ine., Cettie has a diverse background in grants, business and years of experience working with the Hawaiian community and with American Indian tribal councils. His job is to help groups and individuals make

their way through an at first daunting application packet, to develop and submit their grant proposal for financial assistance. ANA has recognized this assistance is especially important for those who have never applied for federal funding assistance before. There are three types of grants: one is the Social, Eeonomie and Governance Development (SEDS) grant whieh covers a wide range of possible projects, such as work skill training (Alu Like has been a prime recipient of such grants) or through a legislative intern program to train young leaders. ANA provided an $80,000 SEDS grant from HUD to launeh a successful "affordable housing" pilot project at Milolii on Hawaii. It paired an easy-to-build house with 12-foot lanai with a low-cost revolving loan financing plan. Big Island State Representative Virginia Isbell helped pass a bill in the Legislature to support the project. This innovative and truly affordable housing plan is now being continued by Hawaii Eeonomie CounciI under Hawaii Housing Authority. The second type of ANA grant is for Coordinated Discretionary Fund Programs or CDP. This ean be used for such tbings as community dietary education programs, alcohol/substance abuse

programs, computer training job skills, entrepreneurship development, to form agricultural eoops, etc. The third type of grant is a revolving loan fund for native Hawaiians whieh provides start up money for new businesses at two percent below prime rate. The very flexible qualifications are intended to include persons who would normally not be able to obtain bank loans. Cettie is now conducting free public information meetings on eaeh island to explain to Hawaiians what grants are available and how they ean apply. A schedule is published in this issue of Ka Wai Ola O OHA. Interested persons are invited to attend, or to eall Cettie at 833-2301 or to write him e/o P.O. Box 30778, Honolulu, HI 96820-0778. Cettie says it is important to him personally to see Hawaiians benefit from ANA grants and move toward greater self-sufficiency. In the past, ANA grants have gone principally to American Indian groups. He believes "success breeds success," and is confident that efforts by Hawaiians to succeed only create more success.