Name on ballot:

Luana Alapa

Running for:

OHA Molokai Resident Trustee

Political party:

No answer submitted

Campaign website:

Alapaforoha.com

Current occupation:

Trustee Molokai- Lanai

Age:

63

Previous job history:

Positive Motivational Speaker, Insurance agent, sales representative for Cosmetics company, event planner, nutraceutical sales representative, and professional emcee

Previous elected office, if any:

None

Please describe your qualifications to represent the Native Hawaiian community.

As a native Hawaiian woman, I am homesteader on my Mother- Kauana Kanahele(Pukahi) Ho’olehua property- Molokai, I am a member of the Hawaiian Civic Club – Princess Ruth Ke’elikolani chapter, member of the Ho’olehua Homestead Association and Current OHA Trustee – Molokai – Lana’i.

What is the most-pressing issue facing Native Hawaiians and how would you address the problem?

The lack of affordable housing is a critical issue for many Hawaiians. Many beneficiaries of Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) are on the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) waiting list. Support from state agencies would be instrumental in executing a memorandum of understanding aimed at advancing affordable housing for Hawaiian beneficiaries, as the long wait list must be addressed.
 
As an OHA Trustee, we have been in dialogue with DHHL to explore housing development projects, such as Kupuna housing. Though we are still in the early stages of planning, we are considering various types of structures like tiny homes, prefab/pre-cut homes, or modular homes, which are definitely more affordable for our Lāhui. DHHL faces several challenges, including the high cost of infrastructure for raw lands, constructing vertical buildings for rent-to-own units, and implementing modular homes.
 
Despite the recent allocation of $600 million by the state, DHHL still encounters significant financial constraints. This funding is insufficient to sustain the department or develop thousands of homes in the coming years, given the dramatic increases in prices for materials, labor, and infrastructure.
 
Furthermore, OHA has committed grant money to a pilot program with American Savings Bank, aimed at assisting Hawaiian families as first-time home buyers with down payments for their new homes.
 
To address the challenges, DHHL and OHA need to continue collaborating, leveraging both state and private resources, and exploring continuous innovative housing solutions to meet the needs of the Hawaiian community.
 
Expediting home ownership for Hawaiian beneficiaries are at a critical point as many of our beneficiaries are leaving Hawaii in record numbers for an affordable quality of life on the mainland.

Do you support or oppose the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope on Hawaii island? Please explain.

Our primary focus should be ensuring that pono management of the mauna is of the highest priority. The state must fulfill its obligations to preserve and protect the environment and cultural heritage of the mauna. Although a new management structure is in place, it does not mean all issues are resolved. OHA’s lawsuit with the state must be addressed before we can move forward on these pressing matters.
 
As we advance in science and technology in the 21st century, we must continue exploring the heavens, honoring our ancestors who were master navigators using the stars and ocean tides to find their way to land.

What do believe is the best use of OHA’s Kakaako Makai lands and do you support building residential high-rises there? Please explain.

As a fiduciary, it is our intention that the Kaka’ako -Makai lands obtain the highest and best use as an income generating source for the Trust. OHA’s Kaka’ako lands are in dire need to generate revenue through commercial, cultural and low rise luxury residential/affordable housing. Funds generated from these lands will have a large impact on Funding education, housing, and economic development for our people for years to come. We must think outside of the box and prepare for the generations after us who will continue to serve in the same capacity focusing on wise investments, expansion of real estate owned lands, income generating properties and businesses.

I remain committed to insuring these Kaka’ako Makai lands via commercial, business, and residential come to fruition soon.

What role should OHA play in helping Native Hawaiians cope with Hawaii’s high cost of living?

It takes a village to help native Hawaiian population of 300,000 plus cope with high cost of living and would be impossible for OHA to manage this alone. I believe policies across the board in government must be shared not just for Hawaiians but for many of our residents struggling to make ends meet. However, revenue from the Public land trust can help minimize some of the high costs of living for our Hawaiian beneficiaries in the following way:
Currently, the State Legislature’s payments to the Public Land Trust (PLT) amount to $21 million, which is just 4% of the 20% owed to OHA. Based on the latest calculations, OHA should be receiving $78.9 million annually. As a result, the state is in arrears approximately $700 million. One can only imagine the number of Hawaiian programs—such as housing, healthcare, education, and job opportunities—that could be realized if the state fulfilled its legal obligation to pay OHA its fair share of the PLT.
 
Unfortunately, the state has yet to reach an agreement on the exact inventory of PLT lands. OHA has a working group in dialogue with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), urging them to fulfill their obligation by identifying the land inventory, so OHA can receive its rightful share of the PLT thus able to improve the lives of our Lahui.

What role should OHA play in the reshaping of Hawaii’s tourism industry?

Hawaii is actively striving to improve its tourism industry by making it more environmentally friendly and culturally sensitive. The state has introduced the Malama program, which targets mindful tourists through videos that encourage visitors to give back or volunteer with local nonprofits. This shift towards “regenerative tourism,” led by the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA), promotes collaboration between government agencies, private organizations, and community groups. The focus is on visitor education, community-led management of popular tourist destinations, and investment in programs that preserve and perpetuate Hawaiian culture. OHA can definitely play role perhaps as a consultant on topics of for culturally appropriate and environmentally friendly programs directed towards our tourism industry. CNHA and HTA are doing their best to revitalize tourist industry and with their collaborative efforts, anticipate positive changes for the betterment of our number one industry- Tourism.

What reforms, if any, would you propose to make OHA more transparent to the public?

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) is committed to transparency and accountability. We have made several resources available to the public, including OHA board meetings, which are streamed live, or on zoom, accessibility of minutes to our board meetings, our yearly Expense Report, online access to our grants, advocacy efforts for Hawaiian cultural issues. We have addressed audit issues bringing our agency in compliance thanks to our leadership and advocacy of Trustees to insure pono management of our fiduciary responsibility of Trust Funds. Our in-house media projects further increase our visibility and engagement with the community. Last month, our board of trustees approved a record $17 million dollars in grants for non-profit organizations serving our Hawaiian beneficiaries.
 
In addition, our Board of Trustees has taken unprecedented steps to engage directly with communities, including traveling to meet with residents who have never before had the opportunity to interact with the entire board. For example, the board has met with community members in Kahana Valley, the ahupua‘a of He‘eia –‘Ohana of Frank Hewitt, and visited the Bumpy KanaheleCompound in Waimanalo. These visits are firsts in OHA’s history and we will continue to venture into local communities to hear firsthand the concerns and issues of our beneficiaries.

What will be your top priority if elected?

I am so fortunate to once again serve as OHA Trustee, One of my priorities would be toward our Molokai office. It has been my intention to work in a friendly, warm, helpful and professional office environment where beneficiaries are greeted with a smile from a Professional staff as well as assist them with support. To work where you are felt welcomed is of major priority for me and I intend to fulfill that priority.
Additionally, as a fiduciary of the trust my mission is to work hard in helping to greatly improve the economic betterment of Native Hawaiians in the following capacity as I have endured the following disparate conditions while living on my Ho’olehua homestead. I’d like to pursue the following initiatives during my second tenure,
A) Home repairs for beneficiaries starting with Roof. Many homesteaders currently live with leaks, missing roof tiles, old outdated roofing and can’t afford a new roof. I lived on back unit of property with leaky roof, ceiling tiles fell due to water damage. I was subjected to mold growth and became very ill as a result. Though OHA is not in the housing development field, the agency can make available funding for home repairs.

B) Mental health services. Molokai suffers from lack of mental health support and services. I will work hard toward insuring OHA support our Hawaiian beneficiaries affected and or collaborate with other Hawaiian trusts to financially support this endeavor. Suicide amongst our young Hawaiians especially our men, are at an all time high. I lost my son to suicide and would like more than anything to
Fulfill my pledge toward Mental health support services for our people.

C) Inventory of the Public lands trust(PLT) is of vital importance for OHA.
Currently, the State Legislature’s payments to the Public Land Trust (PLT) amount to $21 million, which is just 4% of the 20% owed to OHA. Based on the latest calculations, OHA should be receiving $78.98million annually. As a result, the state is in arrears by $700 million to date.

The importance of a quality of life for the hawaiian people is and will always be my pledge as Trustee.

Is there anything more that you would like voters to know about you?

My parents (divorced) are of Native Hawaiian ancestry, Stanley Alapa and Kauana Kanahele. My father made Molokai his home since 1973.
I am one of 3 daughters, a graduate of Kamehameha Schools, University of Hawaii with a BA degree in Psychology, entrepreneur, event planner, sales rep for Insurance and Nutraceutical companies. A former Miss Hawaii, I am a mother of 4(son recently passed) motivational speaker and Self Improvement Specialist for women, producer of fashion shows, Polynesian shows, and a professional emcee and hula dancer.

My father passed in 2001 leaving my mother and sister successors to our homestead lot. Upon my return to Molokai in 2019, I found our 5 acre lot in disrepair and proceeded with the help of my two sisters to restore our late father’s dream of farming. We have met many financial challenges like the lack of funds, equipment and fencing to keep out deer, however we continue to sustain our lot to this day. I ran for office in 2020 at the height of the Pandemic and was fortunate and blessed to be elected to this position of service to our Hawaiian people.
Though I’ve met personal challenges during my tenure, I utilized setbacks and found ways to give back to my community. This past year I formed an organization called Ho’ohana(purposeful work) Molokai. My org was designed to give back financially toward non profits on Molokai. Through a generous funder – Ho’okahua- as well as the Personal support from other entities, Here is what I contributed during my 3 1/2 years in office….
1. Collected Donations of $3,000 to support the Molokai Rodeo Scholarship Fund, benefiting two high school seniors
2. Organized an Easter toy giveaway at Lanikeha Center, with over $20,000 in toys donated to our island keiki
3. I Hosted a holiday gingerbread house decorating event for our island keiki, with over $600 worth of gingerbread houses donated.
4. I Donated over $500 worth of Christmas gifts for the Ho‘olehua Homestead Association’s annual Christmas party.
5. Contributed $500 to the Kualapu‘u Charter School annual fundraiser.
6. Established the First – Aloha Diaper Bank – Molokai to provide free diapers to struggling Molokai families, elderly seniors.
7. Founded Ho‘ohana Molokai, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of our Native Hawaiian community. Our first assistance award supported home repairs for Kupuna, donating
8. $20,000 to the Ho‘olehua Homestead Association for Kupuna home repairs
9. $1,000 to Ho’olehua Homestead Association scholarship fund, benefiting two high school seniors.
10. $1,000 for the Molokai High School Culinary student scholarship fundraiser and
11. secured a $1,000 purchase of a VIP table for the Ho‘olehua Homestead Scholarship luau fundraiser.
12. $5,000 to Aloha Diaper bank – Molokai.
13. $30,000 to Molokai Baptist Independent Church 501c3. For home repairs for native Hawaiians

I will continue to donate toward meaningful non profits that serve Hawaiian families on Moloka’i as well as fulfill the obligations of fiduciary responsibility of the Trust, to grow it, to utilize it to the best of our abilities as well to insure the lives and conditions of our Hawaiian beneficiaries are fulfilled.
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