70
THE SENATE                           S.C.R. NO.            
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                    SENATE  CONCURRENT
                        RESOLUTION

  URGING THE DEVELOPMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE RESIDENTS OF
    THE MAUNALAHA AREA OF MAKIKI HEIGHTS ON THE ISLAND OF
    OAHU.


 1        WHEREAS, families of Hawaiian ancestry have been living in
 2   the Maunalaha region of Makiki Heights for a very long time,
 3   some since the Great Mahele; and
 4   
 5        WHEREAS, Act 225, Session Laws of Hawaii 1981, authorized
 6   the Department of Land and Natural Resources to negotiate and
 7   enter into long-term residential leases with residents who met
 8   certain specified criteria; and
 9   
10        WHEREAS, when the leases were offered in 1983, however,
11   only thirty leases were executed and only a few lessees have
12   been able to construct new homes; and
13   
14        WHEREAS, the remaining lessees of Maunalaha live in
15   substandard housing, and have not been able to upgrade or
16   rebuild their homes since they are unable to qualify for loans
17   due to the existence of substandard infrastructure and because
18   they do not own the land; and
19   
20        WHEREAS, it is unfortunate that in the middle of
21   Honolulu's urban core, that these substandard conditions exist,
22   particularly in light of the fact that this issue is not a new
23   one; and
24   
25        WHEREAS, in recognition of these problems, the Legislature
26   has further considered legislation to install basic
27   infrastructure for the Maunalaha area; and
28   
29        WHEREAS, while the installation of infrastructure would
30   ameliorate the residents' problems with regard to access to
31   basic utilities, it does not provide them with the means to
32   upgrade their domiciles; and
33   
34        WHEREAS, if the lessees were deeded the title of the lands
35   that they currently lease, they would then be able to secure
36   funding to upgrade their dwellings; and

 
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 1   
 2        WHEREAS, the Department of Land and Natural Resources has
 3   already initiated proceedings to ascertain the feasibility of
 4   this proposal and is awaiting an answer from the affected
 5   lessees; and
 6   
 7        WHEREAS, the Legislature believes that once a mutually
 8   agreed upon settlement is reached, the transfer should occur
 9   soon thereafter in order to assist the lessees in expeditiously
10   upgrading their homes and property; now, therefore,
11   
12        BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twentieth Legislature
13   of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2000, the House of
14   Representatives concurring, that the Department of Land and
15   Natural Resources is urged to deed the title of lands leased to
16   lessees in the Maunalaha area of Makiki Heights on the island
17   of Oahu under Act 225, Session Laws of Hawaii 1981, to the
18   lessees as soon as practicable; and
19   
20        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this
21 Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the
22 Board of Land and Natural Resources, the Governor, and the
23 Maunalaha Valley Community Association.
24 
25 
26 
27                         OFFERED BY:  ____________________________