By the end of the year, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands will have spent $120 million of the $600 million appropriated by the state Legislature in 2022 to develop homestead lots for beneficiaries.
The department says it's on track to meet its legislative deadline of June 30, 2026, to have all that funding attached to a project contract.
Over $500 million of the funds will need to go toward infrastructure costs. The department expects that the funds will be able to pay for over 2,000 lots that will be built over the next couple of years.
About half of the lots will be in Maui County.
Hawaiian Homes Commission Chair Kali Watson told lawmakers that the majority of the over 29,000 beneficiaries still on the waitlist live on Oʻahu. However, it only accounts for about 4% of DHHL's land inventory.
That's why he says they are looking at other ways to build vertically to utilize more land.
One example is the 23-story project at the former Bowl-o-Drome in Mōʻiliʻili that is expected to be completed next year.
How did we get here? Read these 5 HPR articles to get up to speed:
- $600M for Hawaiian Home Lands: What we know about how this money could soon be spent - July 13, 2022
- Over $1B was appropriated for Native Hawaiians last year. Now it needs to be used - Jan. 26, 2023
- DHHL changes $600M spending plan to prioritize acquired land development - Feb. 26, 2024
- DHHL Director Kali Watson on latest homestead projects, blood quantum and more - March 20, 2025
- Dozens rally for more DHHL funding ahead of Prince Kūhiō Day - March 26, 2025
