As of June 30, 2022, 28,904 individuals were on the DHHL waitlist, and Act 279 (2022) appropriated $600 million to reduce it. ISPI recommends measuring the outcomes of that spending, including whether stable housing affects youth justice contact.
Abstract
Examines how Native Hawaiian homestead access and community conditions relate to public safety policy, drawing on DHHL waitlist data, Act 279, and Hawaii justice disparity research. All ISPI research is free under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.
Key Findings
As of June 30, 2022, DHHL reported 28,904 individual applicants and 46,307 lease applications (DHHL FY2022 Annual Report)
Act 279 (2022) appropriated $600 million to DHHL for a multi-pronged approach to reducing the waitlist
Native Hawaiians are overrepresented in Hawaii's justice system (OHA 2010); whether housing stability contributes is a hypothesis ISPI recommends testing
Summary of the paper
"Native Hawaiian Land, Community Rights, and Public Safety Policy" examines how homestead access and community conditions relate to public safety policy.
It draws on DHHL waitlist data, Act 279 (2022), and Hawaii justice disparity research.
What the paper finds
- The waitlist. As of June 30, 2022, DHHL reported 28,904 individual applicants and 46,307 lease applications.
- Act 279. The Legislature appropriated $600 million to DHHL in 2022 to reduce the waitlist.
- A hypothesis to test. In ISPI's analysis, housing stability may contribute to youth justice outcomes; the brief calls for study rather than asserting a causal link.
What it recommends
- Legislature: require outcome reporting on Act 279 spending.
- DHHL and DHS: study placement and family outcomes.
- Companies: adopt place-specific accountability practices.
- Family Court: consider housing stability in diversion assessments.
Who it's for
Legislators, DHHL and DHS officials, Native Hawaiian organizations, juvenile justice practitioners, and companies operating in Hawaii.
Indigenous land tenure is central to community life in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu, so land policy and community safety are linked there as well, in ISPI's analysis.
Cite as
Pulley, Warren (2026). Native Hawaiian Land, Community Rights, and Public Safety Policy: Homestead Access, Youth Outcomes, and Corporate Accountability (ISPI HI-07). Island Security Policy Institute, Honolulu. https://ispiglobal.com/papers-landing/hi07-native-hawaiian-rights https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23449776
BibTeX
@techreport{ispihi072026,
author = {Pulley, Warren},
title = {Native Hawaiian Land, Community Rights, and Public Safety Policy: Homestead Access, Youth Outcomes, and Corporate Accountability},
institution = {Island Security Policy Institute},
address = {Honolulu, HI},
number = {ISPI HI-07},
year = {2026},
url = {https://ispiglobal.com/papers-landing/hi07-native-hawaiian-rights},
doi = {10.5281/zenodo.23449776}
}Related Research
WP-09 — At-Risk Youth Intervention →HI-01 — Housing Affordability →PB-17 — Juvenile Justice Pacific Island Communities →Related analysis
AnalysisNative Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Youth in the Justice System — Decades of Disparity, Decades Without Research →AnalysisHow Foundations Use Independent Research to Strengthen Island Community Grantmaking →AnalysisState and Local Governments in Island Communities and the Research Gap →PaperHI-06 — Infrastructure Deficit and Island Resilience in Hawaii →PaperHI-08 — Climate Resilience and Emergency Response in Hawaii →RegionHawaii Public Safety Research →GuideHawaii Law Enforcement Workforce & Recruitment: Research and FAQ →Pulley, Warren. "Native Hawaiian Rights and DHHL Policy: Public Safety Implications." Island Security Policy Institute, 2026. https://ispiglobal.com/papers-landing/hi07-native-hawaiian-rights
