House Approves Native Hawaiian Housing Bill

Press Release

House Approves Native Hawaiian Housing Bill

One week after House Republicans ambushed the Hawaiian Homeownership Opportunity Act of 2007, reauthorizing housing block grants and loan guarantees for home purchase in designated Hawaiian Home Lands, U.S. Representatives Neil Abercrombie and Mazie K. Hirono guided the bill back to the House floor today and a 272 to 150 vote victory.

"This is good news for eligible families who want to buy or refinance homes located in the Hawaiian Home Lands," said Abercrombie. The legislation reauthorizes the Native Hawaiian Housing Loan Guarantee Program, making private financing possible for homes in the legally-designated areas. The bill also reauthorizes a block grant program to fund the construction of roads and utility infrastructure and accommodate additional home development.

Last week, the bill won a majority vote, but not the two-thirds required for passage as a non-controversial matter. Thirty-nine of the 162 Republicans who voted against reauthorizing the housing program had actually cosponsored its creation in 2000. This time, the Hawaii Representatives took no chances and marshaled eleven additional Republican votes.

During the debate on the bill, Congresswoman Hirono refuted claims that the bill was unconstitutional or had anything to do with a court decision about voting for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board, as some opponents had claimed. "I am pleased with the strong support we were able to get on this vote," said Hirono. "It is clear to me, however, that many members don't understand the history of interactions between Native Hawaiians and the federal government. We will continue to work to try to educate these members. It is also clear to me that we have members who do not support self-determination for Native Hawaiians, and no amount of education will change their minds."

Last time, the Republican leadership turned a non-controversial matter into a partisan vote," Abercrombie said. "Today, we had the chance to point out that this legislation was requested by Hawaii's Republican governor and that the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is chaired by the former head of the state's Rupublican Party."

We have never made issues affecting Hawaiians a matter of party loyalty or party votes. We stood on the merits of this issue. We won on the merits of this issue."

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