HomeMy WebLinkAboutOffice of Hawaiian Affairs - Letter 060615STATE OF HAWAI'I
OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS
560 N. NIMITZ HWY., SUITE 200
HONOLULU, HAWAI'I 96817
PHONE (808) 594-1888
FAX (808) 594-1938
June 5, 2015
Duane Kanuha, Planning Director
Planning Department, County of Hawai 'i
101 Pauahi Street, Suite 3
Hilo, Hawai'i 96720
Re: Comprehensive Review of County of Hawai 'i General Plan
Aloha e Mr. Kanuha,
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the comprehensive review of the Hawai 'i
County General Plan (General Plan).
As the constitutionally-established body responsible for protecting and promoting the
rights of Native Hawaiians, OHA has substantive obligations to protect the cultural and natural
resources of Hawai 'i for its beneficiaries. Accordingly, OHA is required to serve as the principal
public agency in the State of Hawai 'i responsible for the performance, development, and
coordination of programs and activities relating to Native Hawaiians; assess the policies and
practices of other agencies impacting Native Hawaiians; and conduct advocacy efforts for Native
Hawaiians. (footnote 1)
OHA appreciates that the General Plan prioritizes the protection and preservation of
environmental and cultural resources, important agricultural lands, agricultural uses of
agricultural lands, and the character of rural areas. OHA also appreciates the General Plan's
encouragement of a sustainable fishing industry, as well as its recognition of the importance of
maintaining access to the shoreline, public trails, hunting areas, and other culturally significant
areas mauka to makai. OHA notes that the General Plan recognizes the careful balance that
must be struck in providing greater public access to public lands and resources, and the need to
protect and manage such resources for current and future generations; unfortunately, increased
accessibility has in some cases already led to the localized destruction or depletion of natural and
footnote 1. HRS section 10-3
Duane Kanuha, Planning Director
June 5, 2015
Page 2
cultural resources essential for subsistence and Native Hawaiian traditional and customary
practices.
OHA offers the following general comments and specific recommendations for
amendments and additions (footnote 2) to the General Plan on issues of particular concern to the Native
Hawaiian community, including Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices, water
resource protection, and housing and homelessness. The following comments reflect ORA's
responsibility to better the conditions of Native Hawaiians, and are specifically intended to
maximize the benefits of the General Plan for our beneficiaries.
Native Hawaiian Traditional and Customary Practices
Native Hawaiians' continued ability to conduct traditional and customary practices in
Hawai'i County is of particular significance to the Native Hawaiian community. After
statehood, much of Hawai'i's lands formerly utilized by Native Hawaiians for agriculture,
subsistence gathering, and Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices were the subject
of large-scale development projects, contributing to the displacement of Native Hawaiians from
their ancestral lands and traditional gathering areas. This post-statehood development boom has
had devastating impacts to Native Hawaiian cultural practices and attendant values throughout
our islands. Fortunately, Hawai'i County has continued to retain a substantial amount of
available lands for traditional and customary and subsistence practices, and hosts a number of
our islands' few remaining rural communities recognized as repositories of Native Hawaiian
values, knowledge, and practices. (footnote 3) The ability of these communities and other Native Hawaiians
on Hawai'i island to continue traditional and customary practices may therefore play a critical
role in maintaining our islands' cultural integrity. OHA strongly recommends that any plans for
the physical development of Hawai'i County should endeavor to facilitate the continued exercise
of traditional and customary practices, including through the protection of the natural and
cultural resources upon which they rely, as an essential component of perpetuating Hawai'i's
host culture.
OHA suggests the following considerations, amendments, and additions to the General
Plan, to further protect, preserve, and enhance Hawai'i County's natural and cultural
environment, and facilitate the perpetuation of cultural practices that rely upon these resources.
footnote 2. Proposed additions to existing language in the General Plan are underlined while deletions are stricken-through.
footnote 3. Dr. Davianna McGregor, a leading scholar and expert on Native Hawaiian traditional and customary rights, notes
that only a handful of Native Hawaiian communities have managed to continue, unbroken, the traditions and
customs of their ancestors. Dr. McGregor has identified the regions of Ka'ii, Puna, and Waipi'o Valley, as well as
the small fishing communities of Kohala and Kona, as some of the few intact Native Hawaiian communities that
remained after the post-statehood development boom. These communities are rural strongholds where Native
Hawaiian beliefs, values, traditions, and customs continue to be honored and practiced. McGregor explains that
protecting these cultural kipuka is essential to the perpetuation of Native Hawaiian culture throughout Hawai 'i,
because they are oases from which "Native Hawaiian culture can be regenerated and revitalized in the setting of
contemporary Hawai 'i." DAVIANNA PO MAIKA 'I MCGREGOR, NA. KUA 'AINA: LIVING HAWAIIAN CULTURE,
UNIVERSITY OFHAWAI'I PRESS 8, 12 (2007).
Duane Kanuha, Planning Director
June 5, 2015
Page 3
1. Add language more specifically recognizing the legal authorities that protect Native
Hawaiian traditional and customary practices.
OHA appreciates the General Plan's general recognition of judicial decisions relating to
the protection of Native Hawaiian rights on pages 6-3 and 8-5, and of the implications of the
Hawai'i Supreme Court's decision in Public Access Shoreline Hawaii v. Hawai'i County
Planning Commission C"PASH"), 79 Hawai'i 425, 903 P.2d 1246 (1995) on pages 6-2 and 8-3.
Given that future county planners and policymakers may not necessarily have consistent levels
of background knowledge regarding the array of legal authorities protecting Native Hawaiians'
cultural practices, OHA respectfully requests that the General Plan be amended to more
comprehensively recognize such protections as afforded by Hawai 'i' s Constitution, various
statutes, and other judicial decisions. (footnote 4) In addition to PASH, these authorities also direct state and
county agencies to reasonably protect the exercise of Native Hawaiian traditional and customary
practices. (footnote 5) By including these references, as well as some discussion of their significance to
planning and development processes, the General Plan would provide more explicit guidance to
future planners in this regard.
2. Address the intersection of natural resources and cultural practices.
OHA requests that the General Plan more explicitly consider and discuss the intersection
between resource protection and culture. Although references to cultural practices are integrated
somewhat in chapter 12, the General Plan does not reference the intrinsic value of natural
resources to cultural practices, or the familial connection between Native Hawaiians and the
natural environment. Future planners and policymakers may not have a full understanding of the
inherent and direct connection between Native Hawaiians' cultural practices and the resources
they rely upon; accordingly, OHA believes that the General Plan should more expressly and
consistently contemplate the connection between Native Hawaiian cultural practices, natural and
cultural resources, and the need to appropriately mitigate anticipated environmental impacts to
these resources from increased access, development, and population pressure.
3. Use proper Hawaiian spelling and punctuation. including but not limited to macrons
and glottal stops that punctuate words. to all Hawaiian terms and place names in the
General Plan.
4. Specific amendments and additions to the General Plan.
In order to better ensure the consideration of the cultural value of natural resources and
features, to better mitigate any potential cultural impacts of future development, and to promote
the cultural integrity of Hawai 'i Island, OHA respectfully recommends the following
footnote 4. See infra note 7.
footnote 5. See, e.g., HAW. CONST. ART. XII SEC. 7, HRS §§ 1-1, 7-1; Ka Pa'akai o Ka 'Aina v. Land Use Comm'n, 94
Hawai'i 31 (2000); Pele Defense Fund v. Paty, 73 Haw. 578 (1992). For additional information, see also DAVID M.
FORMAN & SUSAN K. SERRANO, HO'OHANA AKU, A Ho'OLA AKU: A LEGAL PRIMER FOR TRADITIONAL AND
CUSTOMARY RIGHTS IN HAWAI'I (2012), available at
https :/ /www .law. hawaii.edu/sites/www .law. hawaii .edu/files/content!Programs% 2CClinics %2Clnstitutes/Ho%27 oha
na%20Aku%20Final.pdf.
Duane Kanuha, Planning Director
June 5, 2015
Page4
amendments and additions to specific provisions of the General Plan. Recommended additional
language is underlined; existing language to be deleted is stricken.
A. Amend the "Natural Resources and Shoreline" study element in section 1-4 on
page 1-5 to read as follows:
"Natural Resources. Cultural Resources. and Shoreline: Describes the valuable and often
irreplaceable natural and cultural assets of the island and encourages programs for their
proper management and protection."
B. Amend section 2.4.8.2 on page 2-29 to read as follows:
"Resort development in the area should not destroy the natural and cultural resources and
historical and cultural significance of the area."
C. Add a policy to section 3.3 on page 3-9 to read as follows:
"Evaluate the impact that the development or expansion of energy-related infrastructure
will have on natural and cultural resources, cultural practices. and Native Hawaiian
burials and archaeological sites."
D. Amend the third sentence of the third paragraph in section 4.1 on page 4-1 to
read as follows:
"Increasing population and urbanization place a greater demand on the limited natural
and cultural resources, making their utilization and protection a vital concern to the
people of the County of Hawaii."
E. Amend goal (a) in section 4.2 on page 4-4 to read as follows:
"Define the most desirable use of land within the County that achieves an ecological
balance providing residents and visitors the quality of life and an environment in which
the natural and cultural resources of the island are viable and sustainable."
F. Add a policy to section 5.3 on page 5-6 to read as follows:
"Design surface drainage and flood-control systems in a manner that will help preserve
natural and cultural resources. as well as cultural practices."
Amend the title of chapter 6 to better reflect the content of the chapter, to read as follows:
"Historical and Cultural Sites"
Duane Kanuha, Planning Director
June 5, 2015
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G. Amend goal (b) in section 6.2 on page 6-2 to read as follows:
"Appropriate access to significant historic sites, buildings, and objects of public interest
should be made available. Additionally. protocols should be developed and implemented
to ensure appropriate access for cultural practitioners."
H. Amend policy (b) in section 6.3 on page 6-2 to read as follows:
"Amend appropriate ordinances to incorporate the stewardship and protection of historic
and cultural sites, buildings and objects."
I. Amend policy (d) in section 6.3 on page 6-3 to read as follows:
"Public access to significant historic sites and objects shall be acquired, where
appropriate. Access for cultural practitioners shall be ensured."
J. Amend policy (c) in section 6.3 on pages 6-3 and 6-4 to read as follows:
"Require both public and private developers of land to provide historical and
archaeological surveys and cultural impact assessments, where appropriate, prior to the
clearing or development of land when there are indications that the land under
consideration has historical or cultural significance."
K. Amend policy (a) in section 7.3 on page 7-2 to read as follows:
"Increase public pedestrian access opportunities to scenic places and vistas[-:] in a manner
that protects traditional and cultural practices."
L. Amend policy (r) in section 8.3 on page 8-5 to read as follows:
"Ensure public access is provided to the shoreline, public trails and hunting areas, in a
manner that protects natural and cultural resources and respects cultural practices.
including free public parking where appropriate."
M. Add a policy to section 11.1.3 on page 11-1 to read as follows:
"Evaluate the impact public utility facilities development and maintenance will have on
natural and cultural resources. cultural practices. and Native Hawaiian burials."
N. Add the following policies to section 12.3 on page 12-4 to read as follows:
"Identify areas that are important to cultural practices. including Native Hawaiian
practices. and encourage the protection of those areas in furtherance of the preservation
and continuation of those cultural practices."
"Evaluate the impact recreational facility improvement and expansion will have on
natural and cultural resources. cultural practices. and Native Hawaiian burials."
Duane Kanuha, Planning Director
June 5, 2015
Page 6
"Provide access in recreational areas for cultural practitioners."
O. Add a policy to section 13.1.3 on page 13-2 to read as follows:
"Evaluate the impact transportation system development and maintenance will have on
natural and cultural resources. cultural practices. and Native Hawaiian burials."
P. Add a policy to section 14.7.3 on page 14-54 to read as follows:
"Manage the development of secondary resort areas in a manner that respects natural and
cultural resources and cultural practices."
Q. Amend the third sentence of the first paragraph of section 14.8.1 on page 14-
62 to read as follows:
"Retained in its state of use, open space would maintain and/or enhance the conservation
of needed or desired natural, scenic, cultural. or historical resources that might otherwise
be permanently lost."
R. Add a policy to the Economic, Energy, Environmental Quality, Historic Sites,
Natural Beauty, Natural Resources and Shoreline, Housing, Public Facilities,
Public Utilities, Recreation, Transportation, and Land Use chapters to read as
follows:
"Consult with and solicit input from community members. including community
members with generational knowledge. early and often about how to minimize the impact
of proposed changes to the use of land on cultural practices. cultural sites. and culturally
significant areas. including burials."
S. Add a policy to the Economic, Natural Beauty, Natural Resources and
Shoreline, Housing, Public Facilities, Recreation, Transportation, and Land
Use chapters to read as follows:
"Encourage the use of Hawaiian plants (indigenous and Polynesian-introduced plants) by
state. county. and private landowners in order to support a Hawaiian sense of place. to
ensure that our cultural heritage is reflected in landscaping. and to help reverse the
displacement and decline of Hawaiian plants."
T. Amend the paragraph on ceded lands in section 14.9.1 on page 14-64 to read
as follows:
"Public trust or ceded Ceded lands in Hawaii comprise approximately 1.8 million acres of
property throughout the State, or 43 per cent of the State's total land area. These lands ..
former Kingdom of Hawaii Government and Crown Lands. were "ceded", or transferred,
to the United States by the Republic of Hawaii, under the 1898 annexation of Hawaii as a
Territory of the United States and after the 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
The Admissions Act of 1959 that granted Hawaii statehood, defined the State as trustee
Duane Kanuha, Planning Director
June 5, 2015
Page 7
for 1.4 million acres of these ceded lands. established the public land trust, and defined
five purposes for its use, including one for the betterment of conditions for native
Hawaiians. The 1963 Ceded Lands Aet allowed the transfer of title to the State of all but
300,000 aeres of eeded lands that v;ere exeepted by the Federal govemmest. (footnote 6) In 1978,
voters approved constitutional amendments to create the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and
fund it with a share of the money derived from the use of eedeEI public land trust lands.
In 1980, the Legislature defined the Office of Hawaiian Affairs' share of eedeEI public
land trust revenues at 20 per cent. The exact amount of eedeEI public land trust lands
within the County is currently unknown. Act 125 was adopted by the 2000 Legislature to
facilitate the establishment of a comprehensive information system for inventorying and
maintaining information about these eedeEI public land trust lands.
OHA notes that additional information is available about the identification of public trust
lands within the County. OHA invites the County to communicate with OHA regarding this
information.
Wai (Water)
The importance of water to the Native Hawaiian people is captured in the 'olelo no'eau-
"Ola i ka Wai (Water is Life)." Traditional Hawaiian management of this precious resource
included the assurance of mauka to makai stream flow, which provided sufficient water for food
production, drinking water, native stream life, healthy estuaries, and ground water recharge.
Groundwater sources, such as springs and anchialine ponds, were also highly respected and
cared for, particularly in Hawai'i Island's leeward areas. Today, access to and proper
management of water continues to be necessary for a thriving Native Hawaiian people and
culture. Accordingly, OHA consistently advocates for appropriate water management practices
and compliance with laws that protect both Native Hawaiians and the larger Hawai'i community.
Decisions impacting the use, availability, and quality of water resources may have direct,
long-term impacts on Native Hawaiians' priority ri.fhts protected by the Hawai 'i State
Constitution, the Water Code, and applicable case law. Recent court decisions have affirmed
that state and county permitting agencies have affirmative and independent obligations to ensure
that our public trust water resources are protected and used for the public benefit. This means
that traditional and customary practitioners, domestic users, the Department of Hawaiian Home
Lands, appurtenant right holders, and the environment should receive priority consideration in
the decisions that may affect the allocation of public trust water resources.
footnote 6. It appears that the "Ceded Lands Act" is referring to P.L. 88-233. Two provisions of the Admission Act allowed
the federal government to retain title to certain ceded and territorial lands, and provided for a five-year period during
which the federal government could convey any "land or property [that] is no longer needed" to the state. In 1963,
P.L. 88-233 was enacted to extend this five-year period indefinitely and directed the U.S. General Services
Administration to determine which lands would be considered "surplus property" and to convey any surplus
~roperty to the state.
See, e.g., HAW. CONST. ART. XI SECS. 1 & 7, ART. XII SEC. 7; HRS §§ 1-1,7-1, 174C-101; HRS CHAPTER 174C; In
re Water Use Permit Applications, 94 Hawai 'i 97, 9 P. 3d 409 (2000) (Waiahole I); Ko'olau Agricultural Co .. Ltd.
v. Comm'n on Water Res. Mgmt., 83 Hawai'i 484, 927 P.2d 1367 (1996); Reppun v. Bd. Of Water Supply, 65
Hawai'i 531, 656 P.2d 57 (1982).
Duane Kanuha, Planning Director
June 5, 2015
Page 8
OHA notes that sufficient stream flow and groundwater discharge, including the
environmental services provided by such freshwater sources, may be essential to Native
Hawaiians' ability to engage in subsistence, agricultural, and traditional and customary
practices. (footnote 8) Such practices may include lo'i cultivation, the collection and harvesting of
subsistence and cultural resources, and the performance of spiritual and religious practices.
OHA offers the following recommendations for the General Plan, which may support the
proper management and appropriate use of Hawai 'i Island's fresh water resources:
1. Add discussion of the constitutionally. statutorily, and judicially-recognized
protection of water rights.
Given that future county planners and policymakers may not necessarily have consistent
levels of background knowledge regarding water rights, priority of uses, and the importance of
allocation of water to the perpetuation of Hawaiian culture, OHA respectfully requests that the
General Plan be amended to explicitly recognize the protection afforded by Hawai 'i's
Constitution, statutes, and most recent judicial decisions. (footnote 9)
2. Specific amendments and additions to the General Plan.
In order to better ensure that future development takes into consideration the cultural
value of water, the county and state's legal obligations and responsibilities relating to this public
trust resource, and to better mitigate any potential impacts to the quantity and quality of Hawai 'i
Island's public trust water resources, OHA respectfully recommends the following amendments
and additions to specific provisions of the General Plan. Recommended additional language is
underlined; existing language to be deleted is stricken.
footnote 8. The OHA Board of Trustees passed a resolution on September 14, 2011 "to encourage all stakeholders interested
in the sustainability of the Keauhou Aquifer to actively work to protect the traditional and customary practices of
Native Hawaiians that are dependent on abundant clean groundwater."
footnote 9. The General Plan could, for instance, refer to the constitutional and statutory provisions and judicial decisions
cited below. See, e.g., HAW. CONST. ART. XI SECS. 1 & 7, ART. XII SEC. 7; HRS §§ 1-1,7-1, 174C-101; HRS
CHAPTER 174C; In re Water Use Permit Agglications, 94 Hawai'i 97, 9 P. 3d 409 (2000) (Waiahole I); Ko'olau
Agricultural Co .. Ltd. v. Comm'n on Water Res. Mgmt., 83 Hawai'i 484, 927 P.2d 1367 (1996); Reggun v. Bd. Of
Water Suggly, 65 Hawai'i 531, 656 P.2d 57 (1982). For additional information, see also D. KAPUA 'ALA SPROAT,
OLA I KAWAI: A LEGAL PRIMER FOR WATER USE AND MANAGEMENT IN HAWAI'I (2009), available at
httgs://www.law.hawaii.edu/files/content/news/18470/WaterPrimer.gdf.
Duane Kanuha, Planning Director
June 5, 2015
Page 9
A. Add a policy to section 4.3 on page 4-5 and to section 11.2.2 on page 11-4 to
read as follows:
"Protect. restore. and enhance surface and subsurface water sources. stream habitats. and
priority watershed areas to support groundwater aguifer recharge. aguatic and
environmental processes. and riparian. scenic. recreational. and Native Hawaiian cultural
resources. as well as constitutionally-protected Native Hawaiian traditional and
customary practices." (footnote 10)
B. Add the following policies to section 8.3 on page 8-4 to read as follows:
"Support the use of stream and ground water by Native Hawaiian traditional and
customary practitioners."
"Protect and restore mauka to makai stream flow and groundwater discharge to provide
sufficient water of appropriate guality to support local food production. drinking water.
native stream life. healthy estuaries. ground water recharge. recreation. scenery. and
Native Hawaiian traditional and customary rights."
C. Add the following policies to section 11.2.2 on page 11-4 to read as follows:
"Where new or improved water system improvements are necessary. avoid impacts to
cultural resources; if impacts are unavoidable. implement appropriate mitigation
measures."
"Ensure complete reporting on for all existing wells and permitted withdrawals of
groundwater resources."
"Ensure that best practices for water conservation are enacted and implemented."
D. Add a policy to section 12.3 on page 12-4 to read as follows:
"Protect and maintain our oceans. beaches. and other recreational areas to ensure a safe
environment for recreational and cultural activities."
E. Add a policy to the Economic, Environmental Quality, Natural Beauty,
Natural Resources and Shoreline, Housing, Public Facilities, Public Utilities,
Transportation, and Land Use chapters to read as follows:
"Consider the most current estimates of sustainable yields related to groundwater in all
county decision making."
footnote 10. OHA notes that these priority uses of water are constitutionally and statutorily established bases for protecting,
and in some cases, restoring stream flow to support traditional and customary uses. See, e.g., Waiiihole I; see also
HRS § 174C-2(c) ("[A]dequate provision shall be made for the protection of traditional and customary Hawaiian
rights .... ").
Duane Kanuha, Planning Director
June 5, 2015
Page 10
Housing and Homelessness
OHA notes that the General Plan identifies a number of challenges relating to housing
and homelessness, such as insufficient affordable housing, rising housing costs, the lack of
adequate housing for agricultural workers and the elderly, and the need for greater services for
unsheltered homeless people. Given the significant population growth projected for Hawai 'i
County during the next decade (footnote 11) and the anticipated demand for additional housing, (footnote 12) strategies
to ensure the affordability of new and existing housing and to address the needs of an increasing
homeless population will be essential. Accordingly, OHA offers the following comments on
issues related to housing and homelessness in relation to the General Plan.
1. Recognize the need for appropriate regulation and enforcement of vacation rentals.
Without a robust mechanism for enforcement, unregulated vacation rentals, also called
transient vacation units (TVUs), may significantly raise the cost of housing, thereby pricing local
residents out of the market or making units unavailable for local residents to rent. A recent study
by the Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism noted that the increase in
vacation rentals has significantly increased the demand for housing, (footnote 13) which contributes to
increases in housing prices. (footnote 14) Based on information contained in a report on Individually
Advertised Units (IAUs) prepared for the Hawai'i Tourism Authority, there were 4,986 IAUs on
Hawai'i Island .in 2014, with 11,155 (estimated) bedrooms capable of accommodating 28,106
(estimated) visitors. (footnote 15)
This issue particularly affects Native Hawaiians, as research shows that more than half of
Native Hawaiian renters, many of whom already live in overcrowded situations, still struggle to
afford their housing costs. Despite the fact that Native Hawaiians participate in the labor force at
higher rates than the state average, (footnote 16) Native Hawaiians earn significantly less per capita than the
state average, (footnote 17) and therefore are particularly disadvantaged by land uses that contribute to
increased housing costs and rental housing shortages. With these concerns in mind, OHA
recommends that a policy be added to chapter 9 on Housing that refers to the need for
appropriate regulatory and enforcement mechanisms associated with vacation rentals and TVUs.
footnote 11. The Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DB EDT) projects that Hawaii County's
population will grow by 29% in the next ten years. DBEDT, Research and Economic Analysis Division, Measuring
Housing Demand in Hawaii, 2015-2025, April2015, page 3, available at
http:/lfiles.hawaii.gov/dbedt/economic/reports/2015-05-housing-demand.pdf.
footnote 12. DBEDT forecasted that the demand for housing during the 2015-2025 period will require 19,610 additional
housing units. Id,at 3.
footnote 13. Id. at 9.
footnote 14. M,at 7, 15.
footnote 15. Individually Advertised Units in Hawai 'i, SMS Research & Marketing Services, Inc., prepared for the Hawai 'i
Tourism Authority, December, 2014, page 3, available at
http://www .hawaiitourismauthority.org/default/assets/File/research/ accommodations% 20studies/Indi vidually%20Ad
vertised%20Units%20in%20Hawaii%20%28Vacation%20Rentals%29.pdf.
footnote 16. American Community Survey, 2013, Civilian Labor Force Datapoint, U.S. Census Bureau.
footnote 17. In 2013, the per capita income for Native Hawaiians was $9,105less than the statewide per capita income. See
http://www .oha.org/wp-content/uploads/20 14/05/Income-Inequality-and-Native-Hawaiian -Communities-in-the-
Wake-of -the-Great-Recession-2005-20 13. pdf, page 5.
Duane Kanuha, Planning Director
June 5, 2015
Page 11
2. Highlight the need for continued efforts to address homelessness
The number of homeless people in Hawai 'i County and in the state as a whole is
growing. (footnote 18) In Hawai'i County, according to a point-in-time survey, there were 869 homeless
people in 2014, compared to 557 in 2013; this reflected an increase of 56.01%. (footnote 19) Accordingly,
addressing the needs of Hawai'i Island's homeless people may be an increasingly important
issue for the county.
Although demographic data on Native Hawaiians who are homeless are not readily
available for Hawai'i County specifically, given the challenges Native Hawaiians face in fmding
affordable housing, OHA recommends that the General Plan continue to strive to address the
needs of Hawai'i County's homeless population, including the need to provide adequate shelter
and services.
Miscellaneous Recommendations
Finally, OHA offers the following miscellaneous recommendations for specific
amendments to the General Plan, which reflect ORA's strategic priorities and other efforts to
improve the conditions of Native Hawaiians.
1. Add a policy to section 9.3 on page 9-10 to read as follows:
"Encourage financial literacy for homeownership and encourage the establishment of best
practices to mitigate foreclosure."
2. Add a policy to section 14.1.3 on page 14-13 to read as follows:
"Encourage the acknowledgement of the cultural and historical significance of kuleana lands
and the ancestral ownership of kuleana lands."
3. Amend goal (c) in section 14.2.2 on page 14-17 to read as follows:
"Preserve and enhance opportunities for the expansion of Hawaii's Agricultural Industry and
for the encouragement of local food production."
footnote 18. Department of Human Services, Homeless Programs Office, Statewide Homeless Point-in-Time Count 2014
Methodology and Results, May 2014, pages 9-11, available at
http:/ /humanservices.hawaii.gov/bessd/files/20 14/06/20 14-Statewide-PIT-Report-Rev-CP-5.91.pdf.
footnote 19. ld. at11. The number of sheltered homeless in Hawai'i County rose from 160 to 211 from 2013 to 2014, an
increase of 31.88%. The number of unsheltered homeless in Hawai'i County rose from 397 to 658 from 2013 to
2014, an increase of 65.74%. In Hawai'i County, the number of unsheltered homeless increased by 56.01%, from
557 to 869 people. ld.
Duane Kanuha, Planning Director
June 5, 2015
Page 12
Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments on the comprehensive review of the
Hawai'i County General Plan. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to have
your staff contact Jessica Freedman at (808) 594-1779 or jessicaf@oha.org.
'O wau iho no me ka 'oia 'i 'o,
Kamana'opono M. Crabbe, Ph.D.
Ka Pouhana, Chief Executive Officer
KMC:jf