[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6539647,"mediaKeyId","3633008-31dc4c57248adfa002a513dfb724d7f1","parentId",3633008,"title","OHA says AHAO pilot has closed first home; 381 inquiries and nearly $4 million in purchase pipeline after 13 weeks","audioSeconds",367,"startMs",3428000,"endMs",3795000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3633008-31dc4c57248adfa002a513dfb724d7f1&start=3428&end=3795","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3633008-31dc4c57248adfa002a513dfb724d7f1/thumbnail_3428000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6539647/Hawaii/OHA-says-AHAO-pilot-has-closed-first-home-381-inquiries-and-nearly-4-million-in-purchase-pipeline-after-13-weeks","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6539647-0decba56cd136c3b757a47d33fa36381/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157745&Signature=QrREl3SF8PTODgBum9b5NHlqBWD-FY2LK0KIdBoGZiOjxNJtEAAkwK2aMHdtGKdjGVoCl4-Qs-HTvFzpWHQRcQX1FGVNG0RxUY~xXHaOfLf1rdYU5we9lQlBb2dKnmMwqPgEOH6lVc1pL7YKPeRKFJYplZqI~8CoPRyqcZjs82C6dAXgw7~05w1U9CAGdkxUmIIBV222uujehcgOK-5dA~c6ReKnluACtuTGx2LvhWnUsrLFCRoDGos5oIpyaTHEmD23kkd1z1-QQ5UkuqRplagVz-AbB2MiW032Polhzlxfju6JxxEj9YzO7bKCeJbIASbrU0DbhcVNa5qdwIabkw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Hawaii - Task Force Created by Act 170","date","2025-05-29T17:53:19.827Z","article","The Office of Hawaiian Affairs reported progress this meeting on AHAO (Access to Homeownership), its deposit-backed mortgage pilot with American Savings Bank, including the program’s first closed purchase and a multi-island pipeline of applicants.

Director of Economics and Business Resilience Poni Eskew told trustees that 13 weeks after launch the program had logged 381 inquiries and 213 beneficiaries verified through OHA’s Hawaiian Registry Program (HRP) specifically for AHAO. Staff had referred 87 beneficiaries to American Savings Bank (ASB). Of those referred, 21 received pre-qualification letters, six families were in contract and one purchase had closed in Kona.

Eskew said the program is leveraging OHA’s $1.5 million guarantee to enable nearly $3.9 million in home purchases so far and yields roughly a 5:1 leverage ratio (every OHA dollar enabling about five dollars of mortgage lending through ASB). She described the operational flow: beneficiaries contact OHA or Beneficiary Support Agents (BSAs), HRP verification occurs, OHA issues a formal referral letter to ASB, and ASB then processes loan applications.

ASB’s loan officer Lisa (identified in the meeting as the bank’s vice president and executive residential loan officer) explained the core financial mechanics and borrower benefit: OHA deposits are held at ASB as a guarantee to remove the need for private mortgage insurance (PMI). For eligible first-time buyers who provide a minimum 3% down payment, AHAO funds up to 17% are deposited at the bank to eliminate monthly mortgage insurance. The funds “are not attached to the property,” Lisa said; they are held by ASB as a guarantee and are not a repayable grant from borrowers to OHA. If the homeowner refinances, sells, or pays down the balance below the program threshold, the guarantee is released and becomes available for another beneficiary.

Using a recent example ASB provided, a buyer on Maui purchasing a $1.097 million home who put 3% down used about $186,575 in AHAO guarantee funds; the borrower’s PMI savings were roughly $500 per month. Eskew and Lisa both emphasized the program design is not direct grant funding to buyers but a deposited guarantee that reduces lenders’ risk and monthly costs for purchasers.

Financial runway and request for additional funds: Eskew told trustees OHA currently has about $591,000 earmarked from the $1.5 million guarantee in active commitments, leaving uncommitted capacity. She outlined a biennium budget request to add $3 million in guarantee capacity; that increase, she said, could unlock roughly $14.8 million more in loans over the next three fiscal years and substantially expand the program’s reach.

Operations and outreach: Eskew described weekly coordination with ASB (her primary contacts are Billy and Lisa at ASB), BSA training and intake forms to track calls and timestamps, and mid-point trainings for staff. Trustees urged more visible marketing and communications: several asked that OHA coordinate with ASB to publish program materials (flyers, logos and “boilerplate” text) so bank branches and OHA neighborhood offices can refer beneficiaries. Lisa said ASB staff across islands respond to referrals statewide and reach beneficiaries by phone, Zoom and in-person meetings; she said ASB typically follows up within 24 hours of receiving a referral letter.

Trustees also asked about eligibility and reuse of guarantee funds. Lisa clarified OHA funds are not a lien on the property and are released when the loan balance drops below the program threshold or if the borrower refinances or sells. Eskew noted the recycled guarantee funds allow the program to support successive beneficiaries over time.

What trustees asked for next: trustees requested more visible communications (updated flyers, QR code updates, social posts and possible “roadshow” events) and asked staff to distribute printed materials to OHA district/neighborhood offices and share success stories (the Kona closing and other beneficiaries) with board members and the public. CEO Stacy Ferreira noted OHA’s pilot-phase restriction that currently excludes OHA employees and their family members from eligibility; she said the board may choose to remove that restriction if the program is institutionalized with additional biennium funding.

Ending: Staff said they will continue to track referrals, update the committee and coordinate marketing and BSA workload mitigation. Trustees scheduled further oversight and suggested a presentation for OHA’s Maui meeting to connect with local residents and fire-impacted communities.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","5/28/25 OHA Budget and Finance (BF) Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","OHA’s AHAO deposit-backed mortgage pilot with American Savings Bank has produced its first closed home purchase and shows early scale: 381 inquiries, 213 HRP-verified beneficiaries, 87 referrals to ASB, six contracts and roughly $3.9 million in home purchases in progress.","taxTitle","Task Force Created by Act 170, Executive , Hawaii","taxId",26072,"location","Hawaii","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6539653,"OHA Budget & Finance Committee approves five event sponsorships, defers Prince Lot Hula funding",429,2998000,3427000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3633008-31dc4c57248adfa002a513dfb724d7f1&start=2998&end=3427","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3633008-31dc4c57248adfa002a513dfb724d7f1/thumbnail_2998000.jpg","/articles/6539653/Hawaii/OHA-Budget-Finance-Committee-approves-five-event-sponsorships-defers-Prince-Lot-Hula-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6539653-67d93ad37ef36318c29994da9da49280/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157745&Signature=FV8bj~-GEom~jVbmPZshRTxv0-DpMof7AsMqn-72j9QPAskLk6hQSrIC~hMrFCHab0wX5rviV-HZUp2tSjXayrmrroWBIHDtRovxz-HVK3k3HlGTzJn~hHE25Mvgfakh7S3hJT1fzN7loAOm~hZ80l5Og6a7pfPVuvy6Y3imRGRkuWUUMAqjLljbhQrMvmreAztHmeHAtFSnA4W~iWtCdEiO4RCTixe8KcWmCs70qhjI4IjDpeEt3GZkiJZGymSWw9lAxFkTNGhTbY~WAynUxhycxugEERZlwGvI~Nvbdc93vPzkO7lEVB-Sgd9NzOiCKC1yrDf-tFvlIs3drQM9kA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Office of Hawaiian Affairs Budget & Finance Committee on a hybrid meeting approved sponsorship awards for multiple community events and deferred action on one longstanding legacy sponsorship. Trustees amended three recommendations before voting and heard brief testimony from event representatives.

Why it matters: The committee’s decisions allocate OHA discretionary sponsorship funds for cultural, community health and youth programs across the islands during the coming months. Several awards were increased from staff recommendations after trustees asked for additional justification or assurance of OHA visibility and engagement.

Action at a glance

- BF25-39 (Prince Lot Hula Festival, Moanalua Gardens Foundation): Deferred. Staff recommended $11,250 based on the scoring rubric; trustees discussed the festival’s long-standing legacy status and a trustee motion to award $15,000 was withdrawn and replaced by a motion to defer so scorers can re-evaluate the application. The committee voted to defer the item.

- BF25-40 (Young at Heart Workshop / Ho‘eau Mana, DBA Young of Heart Workshop): Approved $11,250 (amended from staff recommendation $7,500). Applicant Emma Broderick described Young of Heart as a 52-year-old program that provides free community arts activities; trustees asked the organization to include an OHA information table to improve the scoring category for “OHA public recognition.” Kehau (staff) said the score will be updated to reflect that commitment.

- BF25-41 (Big Island Substance Abuse Council — Summer Jam): Approved $11,250 (amended from $7,500). Testifier Dr. Hannah Preston Pita, CEO, said the free event typically draws about 1,000–1,500 attendees and provides health resources including naloxone distribution. Trustees asked staff to adjust the score sheet to reflect event branding and outreach commitments.

- BF25-42 (HIKI OLA — two-day weaving workshop): Approved as recommended, $4,100. Presenter Kelly Kanoe described an Aug. 29–30 hands-on workshop for 20 haumana focused on weaving and upland forest stewardship; trustees praised the cultural and youth-development aspects.

- BF25-43 (Onipa‘a Celebration, Foundation for Onipa‘a/Hawaiian History Month programming): Approved $15,000 as requested. Sue Lee Stroud detailed plans for a month of Hawaiian History Month events, student documentary screenings and a Sept. 1 Onipa‘a celebration; trustees confirmed the budgeted expenses were eligible.

Votes and procedure: For items where trustees amended the recommended award (BF25-40 and BF25-41), board counsel confirmed amendments were procedurally acceptable and trustees voted by roll call. Several applicants participated virtually and trustees asked applicants to commit to specific OHA recognition steps (for example, tabling or explicit branding) so staff can update scoring before the full board.

What trustees emphasized: Trustees repeatedly asked staff and applicants to document concrete opportunities for OHA public recognition (booth/tabling, stage acknowledgement, logo placement on print/digital materials). One trustee argued for maintaining historical precedent for legacy grantees; others urged adherence to the scoring rubric or updating the rubric when trustees decide to exercise discretion.

Next steps: Deferred items will be returned to a future Budget & Finance meeting or to the full board once staff update score sheets and provide the additional justification requested by trustees. Approved sponsorships will move forward to standard award/contract processes and OHA staff said they will circulate updated score sheets and recognition commitments to trustees.

Ending: The committee completed the sponsorship agenda items and then heard a presentation and Q&A on the AHAO (Access to Homeownership) deposit-backed mortgage pilot program before adjourning.

","The Office of Hawaiian Affairs Budget & Finance Committee approved five sponsorship awards for summer and fall cultural events, amending amounts on three items, and deferred action on the Prince Lot Hula Festival sponsorship to allow further scoring justification.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

OHA says AHAO pilot has closed first home; 381 inquiries and nearly $4 million in purchase pipeline after 13 weeks

OHA Budget & Finance Committee approves five event sponsorships, defers Prince Lot Hula funding