Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono

Contact: Kirk Matthews (808) 591-4278

Eighteen Hawaiian families to receive new homes

Feel Free To Share This Page Slashdot Del.icio.us Google Digg Reddit Newsvine Furl Yahoo Facebook

Washington, Mar 31 - Congresswoman Mazie Hirono participated in a ground breaking ceremony at the Department of Hawaiian Homelands housing development called "Kaupuni" in Waianae.  The project recieved a major boost in the form of a $10.2 million block grant though the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, voted on by Congresswoman Hirono.  The housing development is featured in this story on KHON2 News:

Eighteen Hawaiian families will have new homes by the end of the year, thanks to a cooperative effort on the part of the public and private sector.  Kirk Matthews reports.

She doesn't know it, but this little girl will grow up playing in her own front yard, thanks to her family and Hawaiian Homelands.
But the Hawaiian Homelands is just the beginning - a major part of this new community called Kaupuni is funded by the federal government through the recovery bill.

"Self sufficiency, sustainability, going forward, not just when they move in but through their own families," said Rep. Mazie Hirono.

What is now barren ground will, in the next few months, be converted to 18 single family dwellings.  One of the primary selling points of Kaupuni is zero net energy -- solar water heating, photovoltaic energy producing systems on the home that will virtually keep them off the grid. HECO was a partner in the creation.

"When we were first brought in and talked to about it, it was really with a blank sheet of paper. How can this be a very special place. As you've said, you don't get those kind of challenges often in life but they're great ones," said Robbie Alm, an official at HECO.

The groundbreaking for the new Hawaiian Homelands community was a subdued ceremony but the emotions of the new homeowners were close to the surface.

"it took about four years and when they called us - oh, excuse me - when they called us, they told us to come down for an informational meeting," said homeowner Penelope Dela Cruz.

Penelope and her husband have three children in Waianae High School working in the natural resources program. She says plans for the community center's garden will be a perfect fit for their family. Construction is scheduled for completion by December.