STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3045

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.C.R. No. 70
                                        




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Water, Land, and Hawaiian Affairs, to
which was referred S.C.R. No. 70 entitled:

     "SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE DEVELOPMENT OF
     INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE RESIDENTS OF THE MAUNALAHA AREA OF
     MAKIKI HEIGHTS ON THE ISLAND OF OAHU,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to urge the Department of
Land and Natural Resources to deed the title of lands leased to
lessees in the Maunalaha area of Makiki Heights on the island of
Oahu under Act 225, Session Laws of Hawaii 1981, to the lessees
as soon as practicable.

     Testimony in support of the measure was received from the
Maunalaha Valley Community Association.  The Department of Land
and Natural Resources did not support adoption of the measure.

     Your Committee finds that families of Hawaiian ancestry have
been living in the Maunalaha region of Makiki Heights for a very
long time, some since the Great Mahele.  Act 225, Session Laws of
Hawaii 1981, authorized the Department of Land and Natural
Resources to negotiate and enter into long-term residential
leases with residents who met certain specified criteria.
However, when the leases were offered in 1983, only thirty leases
were executed and only a few lessees have been able to construct
new homes.  The remaining lessees of Maunalaha currently live in
substandard housing, and have not been able to upgrade or rebuild
their homes since they are unable to qualify for loans due to the

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3045
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existence of substandard infrastructure and because they do not
own the land.

     Your Committee also finds that if the lessees were deeded
the title of the lands that they currently lease, they would then
be able to secure funding to upgrade their dwellings.  Your
Committee further finds that the Department of Land and Natural
Resources has already initiated proceedings to ascertain the
feasibility of this proposal and is awaiting an answer from the
affected lessees.

     Your Committee believes that once a mutually agreed upon
settlement is reached, the transfer should occur soon thereafter
in order to assist the lessees in expeditiously upgrading their
homes and property.  Consequently, your Committee recommends
adoption of this measure.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Water, Land, and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached
to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and
purpose of S.C.R. No. 70, and recommends that it be referred to
the Committee on Ways and Means.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Water, Land, and
                                   Hawaiian Affairs,



                                   ______________________________
                                   COLLEEN HANABUSA, Chair

 
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