MEDIA RELEASE: Key Release Ceremony Celebrates New Homes for Kauaʻi ʻOhana

STATE OF HAWAIʻI

KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

 

DEPARTMENT OF HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS

KA ʻOIHANA ʻĀINA HOʻOPULAPULA HAWAIʻI

 

JOSH GREEN, M.D.

GOVERNOR

KE KIAʻĀINA

 

KALI WATSON

DIRECTOR

KA LUNA HOʻOKELE

 

KATIE L. LAMBERT

DEPUTY DIRECTOR

KA HOPE LUNA HOʻOKELE

 

KEY RELEASE CEREMONY CELEBRATES NEW HOMES FOR KAUAʻI ʻOHANA

Left to right: Charleene Cummings, Destiny Smith and ʻohana, Kauaʻi Commissioner Dennis Neves.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 24, 2024

ANAHOLA, KAUAʻI – The joyful sounds of children playing and little bare feet running across the newly-poured pavement of a two-car garage on Anu Street in the Anahola homestead of Piʻilani Mai Ke Kai signaled a bright new beginning for two Kauaʻi families.

The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) presented beneficiaries Destiny Smith and Charleene Cummings with the keys to their new homes Thursday, December 19, 2024. The celebration included Kauaʻi Commissioner Dennis Neves, Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA) staff and other project partners.

“We take pride in celebrating every single family that steps foot into their new home,” said Kali Watson, DHHL director. “By offering affordable housing options through initiatives like NAHASDA, we pave the way for our beneficiaries’ success and ensure stability for generations to come.”

The homes were selected by the families to meet their specific needs and financial capabilities.

“I am sincerely grateful to all those who contributed to the NAHASDA funding, helping these families in living the dream of our beloved Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole – to place our people on the ʻāina,” Neves said. “As a commissioner, we experience the fruits of our labor with events like this and I look forward to more of this type of assistance in the future.”

Enacted in 1996, NAHASDA transformed the way American Indians and Alaska Natives provided affordable housing on rural Indian reservations and Alaska Native villages. The Act facilitated enhanced partnerships with financial institutions and established a block grant program, empowering American Indians and Alaska Natives to decide how to effectively utilize federal funds to tackle affordable housing challenges.

Four years later, Congress amended NAHASDA by adding Title VIII, which enables comparable funding for eligible native Hawaiian families living on Hawaiian homelands. This applies to those whose total household income is at or below 80% of the designated area median income (AMI) for their specific counties.

DHHL is the designated recipient for the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant (NHHBG) as administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Native American Programs (ONAP).

In Kauaʻi county, the AMI for a single-person household is $74,350. Smith and Cummings recognized the NAHASDA program as a key component on their journey toward homeownership.

“This is a dream come true for us,” said Smith. “We didn’t think that we’d ever have a house to come home to and to be able to come home for Christmas is the best gift we could’ve received.”

The excitement was evident as families gathered, each person envisioning the memories they would create within the walls of their new homes. Among the features in her home, Smith looks forward to her new kitchen and espresso machine.

Cummings also delighted in the idea of spending time in her kitchen. When asked about the first dish she would prepare, she replied, “rum cakes.”

“I think I will enjoy it here for the rest of my life,” Cummings added.

All NAHASDA applicants are subject to income eligibility requirements and must participate in housing counseling as part of the program.

Click here to download visuals, soundbites.

B-ROLL (2:27)

SOUNDBITES

Destiny Smith, Anahola homesteader

 (:33 seconds)

“I think the opportunity would’ve been there but it wouldn’t have been in an affordable range of price, it would’ve been hard for us to pay $3,500 dollars a month compared to what we got, so Kalapaki would have to work more, I’d have to work more, and now I can probably stay home more with the kids, and help the kids grow and go to school and everything, and the money won’t be so stressful with this program.”

Destiny Smith, Anahola homesteader

(:36 seconds)

“It’s exciting, this is a dream come true for us, we didn’t think that we’d ever have a home to come home to with each other, and to be able to come home for Christmas this is like the best gift we could’ve received and for our kids they don’t realize how great it is now but I think eventually they’ll be so thankful for what we had to go through to do this and it just means everything for us, we’re going to have a very merry Christmas this year for sure.”

Charleene Cummings, Anahola homesteader

(:13 seconds)

“Maybe just watching family come over and enjoy, with the grandkids coming and going, and the greats.”

Charleene Cummings, Anahola homesteader

(:06 seconds)

“I think I will enjoy it here for the rest of my life.”

# # #

 

About the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands:

The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands carries out Prince Jonah Kūhiō  Kalanianaʻole’s vision of rehabilitating native Hawaiians by returning them to the land. Established by U.S. Congress in 1921 with the passage of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, the Hawaiian homesteading program run by DHHL includes management of more than 200,000 acres of land statewide with the specific purpose of developing and delivering homesteading.

Media Contact:

Diamond Badajos

Information and Community Relations Officer

Department of Hawaiian Home Lands

Cell: 808-342-0873

Email: [email protected]