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DHHL orients Molokai beneficiaries on project-lease offers, successorship rules and deadlines
Summary
DHHL explained how project leases work on Molokai, deadlines for response forms and the rules governing who may succeed to applications or leases; beneficiaries were told to submit interest by July 10, 2026 and expect an invitation to a project-selection meeting on Aug. 15, 2026.
DHHL Administrator of Homestead Services Juan Garcia explained rules beneficiaries should know about project leases, successorship and transfers during a Molokai orientation.
Garcia said a project lease is a "paper lease that grants you an undivided interest in an area or subdivision for future lot development" and that the offer requires beneficiaries to submit an interest response form by July 10, 2026 if they wish to be considered. He added that a project-selection meeting will be held by invitation on Aug. 15, 2026 and that beneficiaries may send a proxy to accept a lease if they cannot attend.
Garcia distinguished two legal processes: successorship, which passes an application right or lease interest on death, and transfer, which passes a right while the holder is still alive. He said applicants may designate a successor to an application right and that qualified successors to applications generally must be at least 18 and 50% Hawaiian. For lessees, Garcia said eligible successors may be 25% Hawaiian in some cases and that lessees may name multiple successors.
When a holder dies without a filed designation, Garcia said the department publishes notice and accepts claims within statutory windows: for applicants, DHHL typically publishes once a year (often November) and a qualified successor must submit a claim within roughly 180 days of the publication; for lessees, DHHL typically publishes once a week for four consecutive weeks (often in June and December) and claimants must apply within about 120 days of the first publication.
Garcia urged beneficiaries to file designations with DHHL before death to avoid family disputes. "We encourage you to file with the department a designation of successor to your application right," he said, and recommended families discuss their intentions in advance.
Next steps and contact details were repeated at the close of the orientation. Housing branch staff advised beneficiaries that returning the response form on time preserves their place on the appropriate wait list, and provided an email (dhhl.housing@hawaii.gov) and phone number (808-730-0111) for follow-up.
