On a street in Anahola, two Kauaʻi families now own new homes, thanks to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL). In a ceremony on December 19, Destiny Smith and Charleene Cummings received their homes, as reported by the Office of the Governor. Local officials, including Kauaʻi Commissioner Dennis Neves and NAHASDA staff, were present to celebrate.
"We take pride in celebrating every single family that steps foot into their new home," DHHL Director Kali Watson remarked with an eye toward the beneficial effects of NAHASDA. Designed to meet their needs and financial capabilities, the homes come as a lifeline to these families. In witnessing his labor's fruit, Neves, bathed in the act of handing over keys, expressed gratitude for NAHASDA's role in realizing Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole's dream: "to place our people on the ʻāina."
Originally enacted in 1996, NAHASDA has been instrumental in addressing affordable housing on rural Indian reservations and Alaska Native villages. By establishing a block grant program, the initiative fostered autonomy among American Indians and Alaska Natives with regard to federal funds management. Subsequent amendments in 2000 opened doors for native Hawaiian families, defining eligibility for those earning at or below 80% of their area's median income, further detailed by the DHHL and the Governor's office release.
This Christmas, Smith will be brewing in her new home with an espresso machine, a tangible dream that, for many, felt distant. Amidst the buzz of anticipation, Cummings shared her plans to bake rum cakes, invoking festive spirits synonymous with hearth and home. "I think I will enjoy it here for the rest of my life," Cummings shared, while enveloped in her kitchen's promise, Governor's Office release.
