HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0595.008 2020-2022 P/PC,
COUNTY CLE ill ti
RECEIVED
Aloha Esteemed Members of our County Council, i bruary 8, 2022
__b
Date _
My name is Kanani Aton and I am an outreach specialist for Kumu Hou. j
I was mentored into this role by our late Mayor Billy Kenoi, working side by side with him on
this important project before his unfortunate passing early last year. After his tenure as mayor v
and through his illness, he took on very few projects–only those that resonated with him, that
he believed would best serve the future generations of this island he so loved.
Together we engaged community members who work and live on Hawaii Island. We shared
project specifics and listened to their mana'o and conveyed their feedback to the Kumu Hou
f
project team. I am happy to note that they listened and as a result, the project was modified,
especially in the area of Workforce Housing and the Waikoloa Foundation.
The workforce housing aspect is important to me as I—like so many families—have 2 young
adult children who work on the west side. We talk a LOT about housing because they—like
most of their peer group—struggle to secure their own place in a housing market that is
extremely limited and unaffordable. With fuel costs so high, it actually makes sense to sleep in
the hotel parking lot rather than commute over the mountain.
It is so important that we all work together to call in new and different economic models that
demonstrate sincere understanding for our resort workforce, our broader community needs,
and keeps our visitors in the resort core where they are best cared for rather than in short term
vacation rentals that turn neighbors into unwilling participants in the visitor industry,to the
detriment of the places we live, work, and play.
Through Kumu Hou, the Waikoloa Land Company is forging a new model of economic resilience
and setting a new standard that upholds community needs in perpetuity. Above and beyond
fulfillment of required affordable housing obligations,they will convey an extremely valuable,
fully zoned 26-acre parcel for affordable housing including its utility and access BEFORE any
timeshare unit can be occupied. A percentage of every timeshare sale will endow the Waikoloa
Foundation with nearly$50 M dollars to address high-priority community and natural resource
protection needs.
This project serves the people of the County of Hawaii by shifting visitor accommodations back
into the resort zone where they belong, addressing the critical need for affordable workforce
rental housing, and ensuring our community non-profits get the support they need to do their
important work. Kumu Hou diversifies our visitor industry and yields the same economic
benefits from fewer visitors.
In Hawaiian, Kumu Hou is about returning to the source; finding new ways to thrive better than
before. Doing so is our kuleana as citizens of these challenging times. Kumu Hou viably and
sincerely responds to the concerns our community is vocalizing, helping us move toward the
future our children deserve.
Aloha mai no e...
Kanani Aton Comm. No. .
Ref. To: PIPO
Ref. Date 2022