RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, the construction of infrastructure on Hawaiian Home Lands is a major obstacle to the development of homes for native Hawaiians; and

WHEREAS, conventional thinking on infrastructure improvements is defined by the installation of water lines, sewers, and power lines; and

WHEREAS, a proven alternative to conventional infrastructure construction is the construction of off-grid housing, which can be applied to construction of homes for Hawaiian Home Lands; and

WHEREAS, off-grid housing utilizes technology-based ideas that could simultaneously encourage alternative energy and self-sufficient habitation development, as an industry; and

WHEREAS, alternative construction methods such as off-grid housing could lead to rapid development of housing, particularly in remote areas of the State; and

WHEREAS, a prime example of alternative construction is the Energy House on the campus of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, which is an early study in building more efficient homes in terms of construction costs, water use, and energy consumption; and

WHEREAS, the assistance of the University of Hawaii to design and plan houses on Hawaiian Home Lands would be ideal, considering the University's expertise in architecture, engineering, and ocean and earth sciences; and

WHEREAS, designs for "off-the-grid living" could be realized using water catchments, gray water recycling, photovoltaic, and wind and fuel technologies in conjunction with energy efficient electrical appliances and lighting; and

WHEREAS, by creating modular clusters of such homes linked in mini-communities, greater efficiencies could be obtained by sharing systems and power generation resources; and

WHEREAS, by employing a modular solution for the basic unit, which could be expanded and customized in the future, costs would be greatly reduced and components pre-manufactured for easy and rapid construction; and

WHEREAS, the building of such inexpensive and self-sustaining homes in agricultural areas could also encourage new agri-tech crops and conventional flower and produce cultivation that would generate income and self-sufficiency in terms of food production; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-Second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2003, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is requested to consider the feasibility of building modular homes with cost efficient construction methods and that utilize energy-efficient technologies; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands collaborate with the University of Hawaii when assessing the feasibility of this endeavor; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Hawaiian Homes Commission and the President of the University of Hawaii.

Report Title:

Hawaiian Home Lands Construction