Lawmakers, community members push thatched ‘hale’ for homeless
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A restored hale that was originally on Kauai and used for sleeping, stood at Bishop Museum on March 20. In the midst of the state’s homelessness crisis, lawmakers and community members want to revive a Hawaiian tradition of living in thatched homes known as hale. They say the homes made from local trees and plants could provide more affordable housing.
A canoe was stored inside a hale at the University of Hawaii at Manoa on April 11. In the midst of the state’s homelessness crisis, lawmakers and community members want to revive a Hawaiian tradition of living in thatched homes known as hale. They say the homes made from local trees and plants could provide more affordable housing.
When Daniel Anthony spent the night sleeping in a traditional Hawaiian structure known as a “hale,” the sound of rain falling on the thatched roof made him feel like he was sleeping in the forest.
“This is the sound of aloha,” he said, recalling the experience. The hales, he said, are also a solution to a crisis of homelessness in Hawaii, which has the highest rate of homelessness per capita in the nation.
Anthony, lawmakers and community members are pushing to revive the Hawaiian tradition of living in hale, thatched homes made from local trees and plants as a way to provide more affordable housing.
Though a bill to ease restrictions on building hale died after critics brought up safety concerns, advocates are trying to bring attention to a type of housing that celebrates culture and uses environmentally sustainable techniques to house the homeless.
“If we can use invasive species, which we’re saying is out of control, to construct housing in an area where they say we’re in a housing crisis, how is this not a solution?” Anthony said.
Homes based on indigenous architecture are found from Austin, Texas — where tipi style homes are part of an affordable housing community — to Tahiti, where thatched homes lure honeymooners.
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In Hawaii, a revival of hale building led to dozens of the structures throughout the islands, used for gatherings, canoe storage and teaching about cultural traditions.
Building a hale can cost from $30,000 for a 180-square-foot structure to $95,000 for 600-square-feet, including labor and materials, depending on size and location, according to rough estimates from Holani Hana, a nonprofit that builds non-residential hale to promote Hawaiian cultural values.
Anthony believes he could build a hale for less — about $1,000 to buy parachute cord to secure the frame and thatching — using invasive species harvested from nature.
By comparison, the converted shipping containers Honolulu recently deployed to shelter homeless people on Sand Island cost $9,117 per unit for a 72-square-foot room for a couple, or $7,717 for a 49-square-foot room for singles, and each shipping container holds two couple units or three singles units, according to the city. An apartment can cost more than $325 per square foot to build, according to the Hawaii Public Housing Authority, or $195,000 for a 600-square-foot apartment.
Maui County was the first to include hale in its building code, giving the structures a sense of parity with western buildings.
Hale builders gather ironwood, eucalyptus or other trees for the frame and pili grass, sugar cane or ti leaves for the thatched roofs and walls. But while sleeping in hale is allowed in some Hawaii counties, no cooking, open flames, electricity, extension cords or generators are permitted, and obtaining building a permit can be difficult.
Sen. J. Kalani English, who pushed Maui County to adopt its hale building code, envisions updating those standards to a modern interpretation of indigenous Hawaiian architecture. He has stayed in thatched homes in Tahiti and throughout French Polynesia, some with sliding glass windows and air conditioning, he said.
“I’ve always envisioned a traditional style structure — indigenous architecture — with Wi-Fi and internet and TV and wall plugs and all of that stuff plugged into it,” English said.
English is hoping to encourage more people in Hawaii to be trained in the art of hale building, incorporating indigenous architecture traditions from Samoa, Marshall Islands and other Pacific Islands.
Francis Palani Sinenci, a master hale builder who has constructed more than 160 non-residential hale in Hawaii, was hesitant to support widespread development of the structures to address homelessness.
“I cannot see hale everywhere, under the bridges,” Sinenci said. “One of them catches fire, they’re going to ban all hales.”
“But I can see that the Hawaiians that are living on the beach because they’ve been displaced from their property, maybe they should have a place where they could build a hale for traditional living,” Sinenci added.
English co-sponsored legislation to encourage city and state officials to set aside land for hale building and to exempt the structures from some planning and zoning requirements, but state agencies and the Honolulu planning department opposed the bill.
On Oahu’s West side, residents living near a homeless encampment envision helping residents build a village of traditional hale, including modern technology such as solar panels, said Marcus Paaluhi, a member of the Waianae Coast Neighborhood Board.
The head of the encampment, Twinkle Borge, said she’s excited about the idea of collaborating to build a hale as a community gathering space, but she’s unsure about turning the encampment into a hale village.
The encampment is on state land without a lease, and Borge is working on getting nonprofit status to help stay on the land.
“Any time that we can find ways to make it easier and cheaper for people to build homes, I think it’s worth supporting,” said state Sen. Maile Shimabukuro, who represents Waianae and co-sponsored the hale bill.
27 responses to “Lawmakers, community members push thatched ‘hale’ for homeless”
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“Building a hale can cost from $30,000 for a 180-square-foot structure to $95,000 for 600-square-feet” Wait WHAT?? $165/SF to build a grass shack? LOLLLLLL. And this Anthony character thinks he can do it for $1,000 or 1/100th the cost? Gotta love this Star Advertiser articles. You just can’t make this stuff up.
“You just can’t make this stuff up.” You’re RIGHT! Most of these “Writer’s” truly believe that their individual “psychotic-episodes” are real. Moreover, they rationalize that their “substance-abuse(s)” and “pharmaceutical-dependencies” are a part of a “healing-process”…
Agreed, let’s send it to a committee and then get a mainland expert for $125,000 to check it out. And remember the EIS.
Tents in carefully designated areas are the least expensive and most durable while still temporary option, but these hatched hales would be much more acceptable to the tourists. Visit Hawaii and view the quaint homes of the third world.
Problem solved, make the homeless a tourist attraction! (sarcasm alert)
At union wages one Hale worker costs $500 a day and it takes many day to search around for bushes, trees, grass and cut it. If you are dumb, if not it costs much less
https://youtu.be/g8TlgSIhm90
Well most people in the “States” still believe we live in “Grass-Shacks” let just reinforce their little mentality. Also lets build these grass-shacks then let the homeless use their portable stoves so it can lite a fire on the dry grass thatching, then they can turn around and sue the state!!..whoo…whoo..!!!
There will be no cooking in hales.
Cooking or smoking in hales will reduce the homeless population via beautiful fires, and cost the taxpayers millions in lawsuits by their surviving relatives.
Can’t have trailer parks but we can have little grass shacks?
It is time to allow trailer parks as the trash population is increasing.
Can’t you just see the homeless living inside, a fire to cook their food or smoking. Next thing you know the Hale is on fire, burning out of control.
These will only work if at additional cost a fire retardant is sprayed all over the building material.
If this is the best our elected bureaucrats can do lets move their offices inside them. Let them enjoy the traditional lifestyle.
“I’ve always envisioned a traditional style structure — indigenous architecture — with Wi-Fi and internet and TV and wall plugs and all of that stuff plugged into it,” English said.”
WTH? Not all citizens who pay taxes and WORK can afford those themselves! May as well just set aside land and let them put up their tents…..$99.99 at Wal-Mart for 180 square feet.
I agree. The state should just provide free water for every three or four units. Community showers and bathrooms.
You can buy tents for less than it costs per s/ft to build these grass shacks. Stop wasting tax payers money.
The reality is 90% of the ‘HALE’ THAT ARE built would smell like a bad dream in a matter of weeks. Let’s get real, most of the homeless are slobs that will do whatever they want whenever they want including their hygene. Lets go back to discussing giving IHS and the visitors business council the $28,000 to send some of the homeless back home.
Another bad idea from the house of bad ideas. Nice to see my tax dollars hard at work.
Most of these people need treatment as well as housing yet nothing is being done in that area. Grass hale? Come on now!
Grass shacks. Simply delusional.
Be careful…….don’t dis the Hawaiian Culture…the mana is strong in the Land.
A hale would fare quite well in a hurricane.
Even if you build them, they will not come. Spend the money on helping those who really appreciate the help.
What we need are mobile home parks and RV camps. Mainland people live in their RV year round.
I’ve been saying that for years. It has fallen on deaf ears. The usual response is, “Hawaii is a special place”.
The Waikikian Hotel let us homeless guys sleep in their cabana, located near the Ilikai Hotel ramp, after the hotel structures were razed. The “cabana” was about 200 square feet with only ONE solid wall. Important for building codes. One can see similar “cabanas”, but smaller, at our local parks.
About six of us stayed there. Nice! Near shower and toilet. Private! We maintained a low profile and left during daylight.
LOW cost? Nevah, evah happen’!
These lawmakers should have their heads examined. Why are earth would you build a thatched hut for 30K when Military style tents are far cheaper and better in every way? Arizona uses them to house prisoners in several counties. If it’s good enough for them, it should be good enough for free homeless housing. Add Ozawa’s portable hygiene facilities to complete it. Everything would be temporary of course. Right?