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Commission accepts 2025–26 Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant annual plan amid calls for more homeowner funding and safety investments
Summary
Commission accepted DHHL’s Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant (NAHASDA) annual housing plan for FY2025–26. Beneficiaries urged shifting more funds to homeowner financing, outreach for kupuna, and allocations for crime prevention and local repairs.
The Hawaiian Homes Commission accepted on Monday the department’s 2025–26 Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant (NAHASDA) annual housing plan, which outlines proposed allocations for homeowner financing, developer‑leveraged projects, home‑repair programs and special initiatives for kupuna and COVID response.
The plan covers the federally funded NAHASDA program for the period July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 and sets priorities for leveraging federal dollars to produce new housing and preserve existing homesteads. "Before you today is item C‑1. The recommended motion is that the Hawaiian Homes Commission accept the 2025–2026 Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant annual housing plan," Leihuakini Laukanu Nahas, DHHL government relations program manager, told the commission.
Public commenters and homestead leaders urged several changes and increased transparency: many asked that a larger share of NAHASDA funds be reserved for homeowner financing and down‑payment assistance rather than developer financing; others pressed DHHL to expand the Kupuna Home Assistance Program and to provide more in‑person support to help kupuna upload documents and apply. Several Oʻahu testifiers pressed DHHL to allocate additional NAHASDA funds for neighborhood safety, citing ghost‑gun incidents and armed robberies in several homestead communities.
Staff response: DHHL said the plan proposals aim to leverage federal funds with tax credit financing and developer capital to produce more units and that some projects now in the pipeline (for example, LIHTC awards approved in 2023–24) already leverage NAHASDA to produce additional housing. DHHL staff also said that a portion of program income and prior allocations will continue to support homeowner assistance and emergency housing conversions for beneficiaries who are homeless or substandard units in existing homesteads.
Vote and next steps: The commission voted to accept the plan; several commissioners asked DHHL staff to prepare an annual performance report that clarifies how funds were spent relative to the plan and to provide clearer outreach to kupuna about eligibility and application steps. DHHL said it will incorporate community feedback into program outreach and will finalize the plan for submission to HUD.
Representative testimony excerpts: "We would like to see a reallocation from the developer financing of $7,500,000 to go to homeowner financing," Kainoa McDonald, a community group representative, said in a prepared presentation. "Our kupunas are electronically challenged with limited access to computers; Naha‑SDA should consider offering classes to Kupuna and their families that include successors," testified Velma Mariano, a homestead leader.
The motion to accept the plan passed by voice vote; commissioners said they expect staff to return with an annual performance report and additional outreach efforts to strengthen homeowner access to NAHASDA programs.
