A place to call home: DHHL awards 200 lots in Pana‘ewa to Native Hawaiian beneficiaries
For the first time in over 20 years, the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands presented leases for residential lots in East Hawaii to Native Hawaiian beneficiaries Saturday at a ceremony in Hilo, where 200 lots were awarded.
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For the first time in over 20 years, the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands presented leases for residential lots in East Hawaii to Native Hawaiian beneficiaries Saturday at a ceremony in Hilo, where 200 lots were awarded.
The lots are located on 334 acres of land along Elama Road, south of the Hilo airport, which will be known as Pana‘ewa Homestead. There will be a total of 400 residential lots at the site, with the remaining 200 scheduled to be awarded in August.
Gov. Josh Green and DHHL Director Kali Watson were present at the event along with awardees and their families.
Many of the recipients had been on the wait list for decades, including Hilo resident Kehaulani Lee Hong-Mauga, who stood up and danced in celebration at the ceremony.
“I’ve been on the list for a while,” she said. “Not as long as some of my ‘ohana — some have passed away — so I am grateful, I am truly thankful and grateful.”
She said it made it even more meaningful that the ceremony took place on the birthday of her father, who passed away in 1988.
“I just thank my family, my kupuna, our lahui Hawaii, that we’re still persevering, we’re still striving, and this is still happening and not to give up hope, to never forget our families — the ones that didn’t make it on the list, the ones that worked and and fought for us and and still persevered,” she said. “I hold them all dearly, because it has been a struggle, and I feel them, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this is my dad’s birthday.”
While she acknowledged that there have been frustrations with DHHL over the years, she said she was encouraged by the words of Watson and the plans for the Pana‘ewa development.
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“There’s a lot of things from before with DHHL — and problems, and we’ve had our share,” she said. “But we’re moving forward now, we’re here now and, mahalo. Our kupuna always taught us that … mahalo.”
Ku‘uipo Kelekolio, a resident of Keaukaha, was at the ceremony to accept a lease on behalf of her aunt, who currently lives in North Dakota. Kelekolio said her aunt has always wanted to move back to Hawaii, but was not previously sure she would be able to afford it.
“That was her dream, to come home. But she would come home and look at what was available, and it was just totally out of her price range,” she said. “So, this is gonna make that dream a reality for her. I’m so happy that I could play a little part in getting that dream a reality.”
Awardees were given documents to sign to secure their leases at the event, but DHHL said the lots will not be ready for occupancy until 2031. The Pana‘ewa parcel is currently undeveloped, and staff said there is need for infrastructure to be installed before residents can move in.
While this means more waiting, Kelekolio said it at least provides the lease awardees with some certainty and a timeframe her aunt can plan around.
“They’re giving us a five-year timeline for them to get the infrastructure in and stuff like that,” she said. “So, that gives her a better timeline as to how she can set up her finances and get herself set to retire and come home. That’ll be awesome.”
The 400 East Hawaii lots are part of a broader push by DHHL to shorten the wait list for homestead leases, which currently has nearly 30,000 people. More projects are planned for Hawaii Island and the other islands in coming years.
Email Grace Inez Adams at [email protected].
