U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) announced that the Self-Help Housing Corporation of Hawaii (SHHCH) will receive a $500,000 FY 2000 Rural Housing and Economic Development Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The Self-Help Housing Corporation of Hawaii will use the grant to address infrastructure needs for lower income residents in Waiahole Valley. Funds will be used to wire homes with electrical power, install septic tanks, alleviate flood conditions for some residents, and provide access to the main road for the residents. In addition, SHHCH will also continue efforts to design a community center for Waiahole Valley.

"Over 300 families have built homes of their own with the assistance of the Self-Help Housing Corporation of Hawaii," Akaka noted. "This grant will help provide Waiahole Valley residents with the necessary infrastructure to enjoy the quality of life that exists in other communities. I congratulate the Self-Help Housing Corporation for the leadership and innovation it brings to efforts to meet the need for affordable housing in Hawaii."