OHA proposes fellowship and $1 million home-repair program to preserve Native Hawaiian homeownership

Office of Hawaiian Affairs staff proposed a Hawaiian Community Developer Fellowship and a Malama Honua home-improvement/renovation program to preserve Native Hawaiian homeownership and prepare housing leaders.

The fellowship was described as an investment in housing leadership and housing-sovereignty movement building; staff requested $202,500 across two fiscal years with contracts and program funding split across FY26 and FY27 to support cohort development and program iteration.

The Malama Honua program seeks $1,000,000 across FY26–27 to fund a hybrid model of deferred loans and grants targeted at very-low-income kupuna and homeowners who lack traditional credit access. Staff said the program would be facilitated through a Native Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) to manage applications, inspections, loan/grant disbursement, contractor management and data collection. Deliverables would include qualifying vendor lists, completion of health-and-safety repairs, and data reporting on outcomes such as homeowner retention and improvements in livability.

Trustees who had direct experience with small-scale repair efforts emphasized the program’s immediate, tangible impact—examples cited included ramps, window replacement and mold remediation for kupuna— and urged broad island coverage. Staff said project leadership and day-to-day management would be provided by the director of housing and a strategy consultant and that program data would be used to guide future housing initiatives.

Staff also listed success measures: numbers of homeowners assisted, improved safety and quality of life metrics, retention of homeowners in place after repairs, and program impact reports.