On Saturday, July 18, Gov. Josh Green and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands handed out 815 Oʻahu project leases to Native Hawaiian beneficiaries, a major new wave of long‑awaited homestead selections. The awards broke down to 400 leases in Waimānalo, 400 in ʻEwa and 15 in Nānākuli. Beneficiaries gathered with DHHL staff and community leaders for orientations and cultural blessings as they began the process toward homebuilding or occupancy.
This past Saturday, I'm proud to say we awarded another 815 Hawaiian Home Lands project leases — 400 in Waimānalo, 400 in ʻEwa and 15 in Nānākuli. https://x.com/i/status/2079321875654820263
— Governor Josh Green, M.D. (@GovJoshGreenMD) July 20, 2026
Official Schedule And Lease Counts
The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands' Lot Offers and Awards calendar lists an Oʻahu Residential Project Lease Awards event on July 18 and shows the distribution as ʻEwa, 400; Nānākuli, 15; Waimānalo, 400, according to Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. The entry appears in DHHL's 2026 schedule of project offers and orientations for beneficiaries on the Oʻahu wait list.
Why This Round Matters
The selections are part of a broader push to chip away at a long backlog. DHHL is on pace to offer roughly 3,000 leases this year but still faces about 29,000 applicants on its waiting list, Hawaii News Now reported. Those figures show why large, parcel‑based offers like the latest Oʻahu awards are being lined up across the islands.
Voices From The Waitlist
One beneficiary quoted by Hawaii News Now said she was “obviously super excited because it allows me to be able to keep me and my future generations here in Hawaii,” summing up years of waiting for a homestead chance. Officials told reporters they hope awards like these help more Native Hawaiians stay in the islands and provide stability for families that have waited decades.
Orientation, Paperwork And Next Steps
DHHL’s Oʻahu project page lists the Hawaiʻi Convention Center as the awards venue and provides orientation slides, response forms and timelines for invited applicants, including registration and program start times, according to Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. New lessees are expected to complete financial assessments and follow DHHL guidance before moving ahead with construction or other occupancy steps.
Gov. Green highlighted the milestone in a post on X and framed the awards as part of his administration’s effort to deliver long‑promised homestead opportunities. State officials say more offers and orientations are scheduled through the year as DHHL works to turn paper awards into homes and functioning homestead communities.
