OHA awards housing, job training grants to Maui organizations
Three Maui-based organizations have received grant awards from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to prepare Native Hawaiians to rent or own homes, provide job readiness training and support the Hana Farmers Market.
OHA trustees recently approved a $1.5 million grant for Hawaiian Community Assets to create a Native Hawaiian Occupancy Ready database consisting of Native Hawaiians who live in the state and have enrolled in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development housing counseling. The database aims to help enrolled residents access match savings, grants, loans and referrals to housing opportunities and connect them with upto-date information about HUD counseling services and grant and loan programs that would assist potential renters and homebuyers, according to an OHA news release Monday.
Hawaiian Community Assets began in Wailuku in 2000 and now has financial opportunity centers statewide.
OHA also awarded a $300,000 economic stability grant to Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike Building Program in Hana to provide job readiness training for students in vocational trades.
Another $200,000 education grant was awarded to the Oahu-based Purple Maia Foundation to equip Native Hawaiian students and kumu with artificial intelligence knowledge and skills increasing college, career and community readiness.
And, a $10,000 ‘Ahahui event grant was awarded to Hana Arts to help support the Hana Farmers Market.
“It is our honor to partner with such solid community nonprofits that have long demonstrated the capacity to successfully serve the Hawaiian community,” said Carmen “Hulu” Lindsey, OHA board chairperson and Maui trustee. “Whether it’s increasing the financial capacity of our people, providing job readiness training for our ‘opio, or building college and career readiness, we can most effectively strengthen our lahui by working together in lokahi. Our grants program is a key strategy in achieving that goal.”
For more information on OHA’s Grants Program, visit oha.org/grants.