Governor Josh Green, M.D.

 

STATE OF HAWAIʻI

KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

 

DEPARTMENT OF HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS

Ka ʻOihana ʻĀina Hoʻopulapula Hawaiʻi

JOSH GREEN, M.D.
GOVERNOR

KE KIAʻĀINA

 

KALI WATSON

DIRECTOR

KA LUNA HOʻOKELE

 

KATIE L. LAMBERT

DEPUTY DIRECTOR

KA HOPE LUNA HOʻOKELE

DHHL AWARDS AGRICULTURAL LOTS ON HAWAIʻI ISLAND                  

Event Marks the Department’s Largest Agricultural Offering in Nearly 40 Years  

Left to right: Representative Darius Kila, Senator Kurt Fevella, Oʻahu Commissioner Sanoe Marfil, DHHL beneficiary Gabriel Kealoha, DHHL Director Kali Watson, East Hawaiʻi Commissioner Michael Kaleikini

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 23, 2024

HILO, HAWAIʻI – The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) awarded 68 agricultural lots on Hawaiʻi Island Saturday, November 23, 2024, marking the largest agricultural lot offering by the department since the late-1980s.

“These lots are more than pieces of land, they’re opportunities for our beneficiaries to reconnect with the ‘āina as Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole intended,” said DHHL Director Kali Watson. “These projects serve as solutions to ending the DHHL waitlist and highlights the department’s efforts to create diverse homesteading options for those awaiting lease awards.”

Located in Hilo, the Honomū and Makuʻu homestead lots range in size from one to five acres. In Honomū, 16 one-acre subsistence agricultural lots were offered. In Makuʻu, 20 five-acre agricultural lots and 32 two-acre subsistence agricultural lots were offered.

“This momentous occasion marks an exciting milestone for DHHL beneficiaries, providing not only the opportunity to build homes but also to cultivate a future grounded in food sovereignty and self-sustainability,” Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke said in a statement.

Nearly 200 beneficiaries and their ‘ohana celebrated the occasion at Keaukaha Elementary School. Senator Kurt Fevella (District 20 – ‘Ewa Beach, Ocean Pointe, ‘Ewa by Gentry, Iroquois Point, portion of ‘Ewa Villages) and Representative Darius Kila (District 44 – Honokai Hale, Nānākuli, Mā‘ili) shared their enthusiasm.

“I am blessed, this is what I’m going to fight for,” Senator Fevella said. “Words cannot explain or express what I feel today for our people; this is your land, and this is what you deserve.”

“We are looking for solutions to keep people in Hawaiʻi and we have it in the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. That is the way to keep people in Hawai’i, and not just people, Native Hawaiians,” said Representative Kila.

Subsistence-ag lots are less than three acres in size and near existing infrastructure. This homestead model allows beneficiaries to live and grow food on their lots for home consumption or small-scale economic agricultural activity.

Beneficiaries who opt to grow produce and other crops commercially must create a farm plan, like a business plan, as part of their lease, and lessees must cultivate at least two-thirds of the land.

With both lot types, beneficiaries have the option of constructing a single-family home or supplemental dwelling unit.

An additional 40 subsistence agricultural lots are slated for development in Honomū within the next two years. More than 1,600 lots are planned for various homesteads across Hawaiʻi Island including Laʻi ʻŌpua, Kaumana, Honokaʻa, Pālamanui and Panaʻewa.

Click here to download visuals, soundbites.

B-ROLL (6:25)

 

SOUNDBITES

 

Kali Watson, director, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands

 

(:44 seconds)

“Well I think this particular project is a real reflection of our diversity and the options we’re creating for the homesteaders, these subsistence and farm lots, we’re doing 68 today, and it’s exciting because it provides an opportunity to not only have a place to grow your food as well as raise livestock but also build a house, which is an option, so that’s real exciting there’s no prequalification requirements it’s just a choice, and it’s been a long time, as mentioned its been over 35 years since we did this the last time and so we plan to do more of these.”

 

Gabriel Kealoha, DHHL beneficiary

 

(:42 seconds)

“This is very important because as somebody who was a beneficiary from my parents as well, both my parents passed away and I’m a beneficiary on my mom’s one, so this is very important for me to give to my baby because both my parents, my grandparents and now I get this awarded land for my baby to have this opportunity in the future, and it’s very exciting, I did not expect it.”

 

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About the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands:

The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands carries out Prince Jonah Kūhiō  Kalanianaʻole’s vision of rehabilitating native Hawaiians by returning them to the land. Established by U.S. Congress in 1921 with the passage of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, the Hawaiian homesteading program run by DHHL includes the management of more than 200,000 acres of land statewide with the specific purpose of developing and delivering homesteading.

Media Contact:

Diamond Badajos

Information and Community Relations Officer

Department of Hawaiian Home Lands

Cell: 808-342-0873

Email: [email protected]