Self-Help is about partnerships, sharing the load, and working together. It's about building a house, or a neighborhood or a community. Self-Help is taking responsibility to move forward with your hopes and dreams. On April 13, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs sponsored a conference on Self-Help Housing and Community Development on Trust Lands. Stephen Morse, Housing Officer for OHA, convened the assembly claiming "no lofty aspirations for this workshop." Instead the discussion was down to earth, based on experience, and felt in the heart. Native Americans and Native Hawaiians shared their stories. The concerns were similar: housing, land, economic development, blood quantum, culture, sovereignty.
"The housing industry does not look at the issue of affordability for the low income people," said La France Kapaka-Arboleda. "They're looking at what they can sell in another market." La France is the Executive Director of Kaua'i Habitat for Humanity which completed 11 homes in three and a half weeks. She sees the housing industry playing a role in housing development on homestead lands. "The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands should recognize that they're not the builders. Let that be the job of others." She sees Self-Help to be ideal for many Hawaiian homestead situations. "Self Help is not asking for it all, just the ones that don't qualify otherwise."
Sandy Asato, Chief of the Housing Project Branch of DHHL agreed. "Self Help is most successful for those who can afford a certain amount... it is a viable source of housing." But she acknowledged the difficulties experienced in many Self Help programs. Steve Grappone, the Self-Help Housing Project Manager on the Big Island told nightmare stories of delays, misunderstandings or responsibilities, and families dropping out of participation. Still he was able to bring in 18 of 22 homes at $35,000 per home.
"Don't bite off more than you can chew," cautioned Luke Toyebo of the Navajo Nation. He stressed planning, scheduling, and organization, and working closely with the families. "They'll need education and counseling: home buyer training, budget and financial planning."
Kermit Mankiller of the Nez Perce Nation explained: "We've had access to modern housing for only 30 years, one generation. It set up a lot of dependencies. It is important to match the resources of the people with the program. Trying to sell homes to very low income is setting them up to fail--and that promotes dependency."
"Build housing with cultural relevance," Kermit continued. "Significance contributes to home ownership--truly buying it," and he touched his heart. "And they will take care of it. Build communities. Look at the land. How easy is it to live there? What is the proximity to services?"
Francis Kauhane told the story of how he and his neighbors finally got to live on their agriculture lots at Pu'ukapu, Maui. He had been awarded a lot but the land was without infrastructure and DHHL would not let him or the other 31 lessees onto the properties. He spoke with his would be neighbor; "Jack, we can't look to DHHL--they don't have any money. If we each chip in we can put in the water line." The thirty-two leaseholders each put up $400 and ran the water line. They formed their own water company to regulate the water. They put in a road to get to their farms. They found ways to work out disputes. "Our philosophy: self reliance, self help, self governance. Sovereignty begins with individuals, our families, our communities. We have to plant the seeds today." Kahikinui on Maui is the only ahupua'a that is entirely Hawaiian home lands. Mo Moler and others on the waiting list for Maui pastoral land have formed the Kahikinui O'hana. Together, they have surveyed the land, looked for water sources and begun to plan the community. The plan would not require money or manpower from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. "Our community will develop its own infrastructure, using sustainable techniques," said Mo. DHHL's Kuleana Program will allow them to settle the land without benefit of infrastructure. The community association will have the responsibility to orient new lease holders and perform inspections on structures. The Kanaka Code will apply, allowing leaseholders up to five years to build a house.
A community, whether old or new, must continue to develop its cultural, educational, and economic resources. Roger Boyd and James Berg described conditions on the Navajo reservation at Windowrock, Arizona. The reservation is 25,000 square miles, or 17 million acres. Although 170,000 Navajo live on the reservation most worked and shopped off the reservation. Only three banks served that area and population, and those banks invested only 3 to 5% of their deposits back into the community. Annually $800 million flowed off the Navajo reservation because there were too few businesses, services, or investment institutions to capture the money.
"To develop a self-sustaining economy, the money must be spent in the community," James Berg said. After two years of intense work, the Navajo have successfully demonstrated that the banks were not fulfilling their Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) obligations. The Navajo now have over $144 million in banking investment commitments, and bank sponsored scholarship funds. The investment capital will help start new businesses and finance housing--and provide jobs on the reservation.
Jacqueline Johnson pointed out that Community Development Financial Institutions can facilitate reinvestments in the community. Local organizations can invest in the CDFI and banks can provide equity and technical assistance as part of their CRA requirements. The CDFI is then in a position to make housing loans and invest in community based businesses. Insurance was another hurdle. Banks require insurance on housing to be certain they'll get back the money they loaned even if the house is destroyed. But insurance companies were unwilling to take the risk on Indian Nation lands. Without insurance they couldn't get loans. Collectively they solved the problem. Bringing the Indian Housing Authorities together, the Native Americans set up an insurance pool that provides housing and auto insurance. The workshop brought out many examples of working together, of facing difficulties and finding creative solutions. It pointed out that institutions must restructure their philosophy of dealing with people: "get rid of the aura of dependency," said Francis Kauhane. People, families, communities, if they chose, can change their expectations of government, and accept responsibility for making it happen on their own.