SENATOR MAILE SHIMABUKURO 2023 HAWAII STATE LEGISLATURE
Ka‘ena - Makahā - Waiʻanae - Nānākuli - Mā‘ili - Ko Olina
NOVEMBER 2023
LATEST COMMUNITY UPDATES
OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS (OHA) Trustees Selected Stacy Kealohalani Ferreira as new CEO CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR FAITHFUL STAFFER !! A veteran of the Legislature, Ms. Ferreira was the Budget Chief of the Senate Ways and Means Committee since 2019. She is also a former executive strategy consultant and division director of Extension Educational Services for Kamehameha Schools where she also served as the trust coordinator for the Charles Reed Bishop Trust. She holds a Master’s in Education and a bachelor’s in communication from UH Manoa.
Ms. Kealohalani was born and raised in Mililani and a graduate of Star of the Sea High School. She touts a mo’okuahau spanning 17 generations with familial ties to the Moloka‘i, O‘ahu, and Hawai‘i. We know her to be a dynamically ambitious Hawaiian which is what propelled her to the top, above the other 550 applicants to now lead OHA to new horizons. OHA trustees select Stacy Kealohalani Ferreira as new CEO - The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) Who is Stacy Ferreira? Meet the new CEO at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs | Hawai'i Public Radio (hawaiipublicradio.org)
LEADERSHIP MEETING TO DEAL WITH WESTSIDE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY In the wake of the recent stabbing of an 11yo boy in Makaha Elementary along with the youth-involved beach homicides and weapon threats between high schools, we felt it was definitely time to meet with all of the community leaders, stakeholders, and any and all government agencies to pull together and work on a plan to address these existential crises. We also needed to discuss the persistent issues which are top priorities, including the gaming rooms, park mismanagement, houselessness, & fireworks. We met at the Wai’anae Police Station with the heads of our State Law Enforcement Agencies including the HPD Chief of Police (Arthur J. Logan), State Attorney General (Anne E. Lopez), Mayor Rick Blangiardi, City & County of Honolulu Managing Director Michael Formby, DLNR, DOCARE, Sheriffs, as well as, City Prosecutor Steve Alm. We came up with concrete and tangible solutions. There’s broad agreement that we need to quickly allocate additional resources and to also engage in robust community policing to monitor and report the troubling & concerning elements in all of our neighborhoods in order to restore the peace and tranquility we all remember and still deserve.
A BRIEF UPDATE SUMMARY: HISTORY: A class action suit was filed in (circa) 1997 seeking relief for Hawaiian Homestead Beneficiaries who have been on the waitlist for an undue lengthy period of time. At the time of the filing, there were upwards of 3,000 members in the class action titled Kalima et al. v. State of Hawai. In 2022, the State of Hawaii settled the suit and appropriated the $328 million settlement and was pending distribution at $40M to the two plaintiff attorneys, some administrative fees, and the remainder to be distributed to the eligible members of the class originally totally about 3,000 members. It is worth noting that since the filing of the lawsuit, about 1,100 members in the original lawsuit have since passed away. This is what makes the disbursement so urgent. CLICK- One complaint gums up distribution of historic Hawaiian Homelands waitlist settlement (hawaiinewsnow.com)
RECENTLY: The Claim Administrator and Plaintiff Counsel deemed Mr. Rivera ineligible (due to being a minor when joining the suit two decades ago) and thus removed from the suit and left without legal representation. Per the terms of the settlement, Mr. Rivera was allowed to file an appeal which he did prior to the final deadline. This then caused the distribution oof the settlement to be stayed until the Intermediate Court of Appeals adjudicates the Mr. Rivera’s appeal. The Supreme Court dismissed (rejected) the appeal. CURRENTLY, Due to State Attorney General’s request for an expedited hearing & it dismissing Rivera’s appeal, means the monies can finally be released. I’m incredibly pleased that these long awaited settlements are now being awarded. CLICK- State will soon start sending out checks in landmark $328M Hawaiian Home Lands settlement (hawaiinewsnow.com)
~ Maile
Apply for the 2023-2024 Early Childhood Educator Stipend!
Investing in our youngest keiki ages 0-5 yrs old by investing in their educators The Early Childhood Educator Stipend Program was established by the legislature through Act 210, in 2021 and was funded by a generous donation from the Samuel N. and Mary Castle Foundation. In 2023, our legislature approved $600,000 in additional funding to support our Early Childhood Educator Stipend program, which now becomes the first publicly funded tuition stipend program available to current and future practitioners in the early childhood field for both Hawaiian and English medium. The State of Hawai’i Executive Office of Early Learning (EOEL) and the University of Hawai’i are proud to offer a tuition stipend to current and potential early childhood educators and caregivers! Stipends are available to individuals enrolled in a certificate, degree, or license program in early childhood education, including those focused on the Hawaiian language, within the University of Hawai’i system, with a stipend opportunity per HRS § 302L-9. Participation in this program is voluntary. To qualify, the applicant must currently be enrolled in a generalist certificate, degree, or license program in early childhood education, including those in the Hawaiian language medium, within the University of Hawai’i system. The goal of this tuition stipend program is to help increase qualifications of our ECE workforce. We are seeking individuals who will commit to work in early care and education services directly to children from birth through 5 years of age for at least two consecutive years in one of the early learning systems described in HRS § 302L-2, including Hawaiian language medium and Hawaiian immersion settings and early learning settings at charter schools. Stipend awardees who keep this commitment will pay nothing back. HOW TO APPLY: You must be registered for eligible courses in order to qualify
(1) =CLICK=> https://apply.hawaii.edu to first apply to UH Admissions (2) =CLICK=> https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FHGD75Y ==> or use this QR CODE (3) Complete the application by the deadlines listed below (4) Tuition awards will be announced about one week before the semester starts (5) Awardees will need to sign a stipend agreement before receiving awards DEADLINES Apply by the dates stated below for the semester you are applying for the tuition stipend: • Summer 2023 – April 15, 2023 • Fall 2023 – July 15, 2023 • Spring 2024 – December 1, 2023 • Summer 2024 – April 15, 2024
Qualifying programs are at the following UH campuses: UH Hilo (Hawaiian and Indigenous Language Medium Programs) Hawai’i Community College (Early Childhood Education) UH Maui College (Early Childhood Education) UH Mānoa (Early Childhood Teacher Licensure Programs) UH West Oʻahu (Early Childhood Education) Honolulu Community College (Early Childhood Education) Kauaʻi Community College (Early Childhood Education)
Financial Assistance and Housing Placement Services US VETS Housing Placement Program & Housing First Financial help for rent, utilities, security deposit, etc for civilians and veterans 85-638 Farrington Highway, Waianae 808-348-7422
DHHL Rent Relief Program
Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement
City Rental & Housing Assistance
Rent, utilities, mortgage, etc. assistance available for people of all ethnic backgrounds
https://www.hawaiiancouncil.org/rent-mortgage-relief-funds/
808-596-8155
Catholic Charities Rental and Utility Relief Program https://www.catholiccharitieshawaii.org/rental-utility-relief-program/
808-521-4357 Institute for Human Services
Rental Assistance 916 Kaamahu Place A Honolulu, Hawaii 96817
If you are on DHHL’s waitlist, or hold a DHHL Undivided Interest, you may eligible for rental assistance.
https://www.hawaiiancouncil.org/dhhl-rent-relief-program/
American Job Center Network Rent-to-Work Program and Housing Assistance for Kupuna Waianae Neighborhood Community Center 808 768-5701 Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center
Rental & Utility Assistance 808-697-3736
Kealahou West Oahu Transitional housing placement and homeless outreach services (808) 696-5667
Phone: 808.447.2840 State of Hawaii Affordable Housing List https://dbedt.hawaii.gov/hhfdc/affordable-housing-inventory/affordable-rental-housing-inventory/ Aloha United Way For more possible rental assistance and social services referrals CALL 211