Hawaii's agency for Native Hawaiian homesteading is handing out leases at a record pace, which is good news for families who have waited decades on the waitlist.

• The Department of Hawaiian Homelands is on track to award about 3,000 leases this year, up from roughly 2,400 the prior year, and is planning for over 8,750 more in the coming years, which would double the current number of homestead leases.
• That's a sharp jump from the agency's historical pace of only about 100 leases a year.
• A $600 million infusion from a 2022 state law (Act 279) is funding the roads, water, and utilities needed to turn raw land into livable homestead communities.
• The agency's leadership credits strong backing from Governor Josh Green's administration as key to keeping the program funded and moving.
• Plans are also underway for DHHL to team up with other Hawaiian land trusts, including the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, to work more closely together on housing Native Hawaiian families.

Outlook: With state funding and government support in place, the agency expects to keep accelerating lease awards and chip away at its long-standing waitlist.