A NEW Voice in OHA
I, Kanekoa Crabbe, will be the NEW voice in OHA who listens to, protects and works with our Native Hawaiian communities so all of Hawaii thrives. I will ensure that every OHA dollar & acre of land immediately benefits Native Hawaiians and the people of Hawaii.
1) OHA must LISTEN to the deepest concerns of Native Hawaiians and place their needs above OHA’s money-making endeavors as a real estate holding company
2) OHA must PROTECT our lands and waters as sustainable assets for our Native Hawaiian community today and in the near and distant future.
3) OHA must WORK for providing immediate housing for Native Hawaiians and locals who have been or will be forced to move to the continent.
My plan is straight-forward and perfectly aligned to OHA’s founding principles:
1. PUT NATIVE HAWAIIANS FIRST
OHA’s first responsibility must be to our Native Hawaiian people. OHA belongs to us. I will work for those who OHA has neglected: families struggling with housing, education (outside KSBE), and the rising cost of living. We must support Native Hawaiian families who want to remain in Hawaiʻi while also helping Hawaiians who want to return home. OHA should measure success by how much it improves people’s lives — not by how much land or money it accumulates or controls.
2. REFORM OHA’S LAND AND REAL ESTATE STRATEGY
OHA should not be a real estate holding company. I will push for a comprehensive review of OHA’s existing land portfolio; How productive are the properties in the portfolio? How are properties used to support NH housing, agriculture, small businesses, cultural practices, economic opportunities, etc.? What are the criteria for obtaining or removing properties from the portfolio? What properties should be returned to productive community use? What properties should OHA consider selling or exchanging? What are the revenues produced from OHA’s investments and properties? Every single acre should directly help NATIVE HAWAIIANS. No secret deals. No special treatment. No putting insiders ahead of HAWAIIANS.
3. HOUSING AND KEEPING HAWAIIANS HOME
Too many Native Hawaiian families are being priced out of their own homeland. More than 50% have moved to the continent because of the high cost of living and especially the cost of housing. I will demand that OHA money go towards low-cost housing for Native Hawaiians. I will support the construction for more Native Hawaiian housing opportunities, the use of OHA land for low-cost, high-quality housing & infrastructure & efficient construction technologies that reduce housing costs. More Native Hawaiians reside outside of Hawaii than here in Hawaii. Our children should not have to leave here to afford a future elsewhere.
4. HOLD POWERFUL INSTITUTIONS ACCOUNTABLE
OHA should stand up for Native Hawaiians against those government agencies, corporations or other powers hurting Native Hawaiians. I will advocate for protection of Native Hawaiian cultural resources, fair treatment or return of military-occupied lands with all toxic materials removed and meaningful community participation in major land-use decisions. OHA should be an advocate for Native Hawaiians, not a partner of powerful interests.
MY FIRST 100 DAYS AS TRUSTEE
If elected, I will first meet with and listen to the needs of our Native Hawaiian communities on EVERY Hawaiian Island. While doing so, I will:
1. Reassure our people that OHA will always listen to YOU, be measured by results, admits to errors and correct course when something is not working.
2. Ask what OHA owns and conduct a comprehensive review of the land portfolio and the purpose and use of each major property.
3. Study how OHA’s money helps Native Hawaiians remain in Hawaii. Learn who benefits from OHA’s decisions. Are they benefiting special interests or Native Hawaiians in need of support? I will ask all grants and expenditures be open to assure OHA is working on behalf of them.
MY PROMISE
OHA has been operating within itself and making decisions without listening to the needs and concerns of the Native Hawaiians they should be serving.
OHA needs to hear and respond to our concerns and needs. It needs a new voice to bring to and work on those concerns.