Affordable Housing Opportunities for Low-income Native Hawaiian Families

Twelve families will have a no interest mortgage payment of about $400 per month and own their own home.

Those twelve families were selected from over 200 applicants after an extensive evaluation. That included family ability to repay a no interest loan, family need and the willingness of the family to partner with Habitat for Humanity Maui.

Left to right: Ed Freeman, Maui Habitat for Humanity Construction Manager; Rodger Boyd, ONAP Deputy Assistant Secretary; Paula Blunt, PIH General Deputy Assistant Secretary; George Kekona, Native Hawaiian Self-Help Homeowner; Sherri Dodson, Maui Habitat for Humanity Executive Director; Claudine Allen, ONAP Native Hawaiian Program Specialist

All twelve families participated in a six week homeownership class which incorporated Hawaiian cultural values in learning about budgeting, credit counseling, and home maintenance. Each family must contribute at least 500 hours of sweat equity in building their home.

The Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant (NHHBG) provides affordable housing opportunities to low-income Native Hawaiian families eligible to reside on Hawaiian home lands. It is as authorized by Title VIII of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self Determination Act (NAHASDA.)

As a sub-recipient of NHHBG funds, Habitat for Humanity Maui is working in partnership with twelve Native Hawaiian families to build their homes. They are in the Hawaiian home land community of Waiehu Kou on the island of Maui utilizing the self-help method of construction. NHHBG funds are being used to provide construction technical assistance to families and subsidies to purchase building materials.

The homes are being built with the homeowner's own labor and that of volunteers. The collaborative efforts of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the Habitat for Humanity Maui are being used to leverage resources. These two- and three-bedroom homes are being constructed at a cost of $84,000 to $89,000 each. Compared to the Maui current median single-family home price of $570,000, this project is providing a very affordable homeownership opportunity for these Native Hawaiian families.

HUD's Office of Native American Programs (ONAP), Native Hawaiian Program Specialists, and the office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH), helped make these families' homes possible.

Learn more about the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant Program.