Letter from Schatz, Saiki to Ige, DHHL

1. BRIAN SCHATZ
United States Senator
Hawaii
SCOTT SAIKI
Majority Leader
Hawaii State
House of Representatives
December 21, 2016
Honorable David Ige
Governor
415 S. Beretania Street
Honolulu, HI 96813
Dear Governor Ige,
We write to request information on efforts by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands
(DHHL), as the grantee for the federally administered Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grants
(NHHBG), to utilize unobligated federal NHHBG funding that totals nearly $44 million. These
funds are available to increase housing opportunities for Native Hawaiians.
We request your support answering the following questions:
 How many new units were brought online last year, and how many units are expected to
be delivered for each of the next three years?
 How many new properties were prepped for development last year, and how many
properties are scheduled for site preparation for each of next three years?
 Has DHHL implemented HUD’s recommendation to use NHHBG funds to build multi-
family, high density rental housing? As you may know, NHHBG funds are flexible and
can support rental construction and operating costs, as well as rental assistance.
Thank you very much for your consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
Brian Schatz Representative Scott Sakai
United States Senator Hawaii State Representative