The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands has 28 projects in the pipeline that could remove more than 6,000 Native Hawaiians from its waiting list, according to Director Kali Watson.
Watson took over at DHHL in March 2023, several months after the state Legislature passed Act 279, appropriating $600 million to address DHHL's growing waiting list.
This week, Watson told legislators that DHHL will need more than $600 million on top of that to develop new land the agency plans to acquire with the money from Act 279.
"That $600 million is totally used under these 28 projects. Phase 2, which is dependent upon additional funding from the Legislature — that involves over $600 million." Watson said.
"I know it’s very unlikely that we’ll get over $600 million from you folks this year, this biennium. But I think it’s important that you see that we’re not just talking about the use of the money, and it ends there. It’s really a matter of where we go in the future."
Watson also told lawmakers the department may need a deadline extension.
DHHL has until June 30 to lay out specific commitments for the $600 million or it risks losing the money.
