TO ADDRESS HAWAI'I COUNTY'S HOUSING SHORTAGE,  Hawai'i County opened up a portal May 1 for proposals to create housing, after securing $18 million in funding for the Affordable Housing Production Program. The County sent out a call for proposals with a June 30 deadline to apply. Applicants to be considered by Hawaiʻi County Office of Housing & Community Development and its director Susan Kunz are: eligible developers, non-profit and for-profit organizations, public agencies, and community land trusts.

Housing Administrator Susan Kunz

      The funding provides a minimum of $5 million per year in an attempt to catch up with the Hawaiʻi Housing Planning Study's estimate that Hawaiʻi County needs to add 10,796 affordable housing units by 2025 to meet the community's needs. For the funding,  eligible expenditures include:

    Acquisition of real property for the development of affordable housing;
    Planning, design, or construction of affordable rental or owner-occupied housing;
  Rehabilitation of housing to be utilized as affordable housing;
    Providing affordable housing for elderly, persons with special housing needs, and homeless residents lacking a permanent home;
     Investment in infrastructure in connection with the development of affordable housing projects; and
other activities that support, increase, and sustain affordable housing production in Hawai'i County.

    Proposals are submitted electronically through an online application at www.hawaiicounty.gov/ahp Proposals are due by 4:30 p.m. June 30.
      For more, visit www.hawaiicounty.gov/ahp or email ohcd.ahp@hawaiicounty.gov. Also see http://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2023_04_24_archive.html

THE EXTINCTION PREVENTION ACT was introduced Thursday by Kaʻū's U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono and by colleagues into the House of Representatives. Hirono is a member of the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee. A statement from her office says that the bicameral legislation would "provide much-needed funding for some of the country’s most imperiled yet vastly underfunded wildlife species, including Pacific Island plants.
    “In Hawai'i, native plants are crucial to the islands’ history, culture, and environment, which is why our communities prioritize the preservation of our unique biodiversity,” said Hirono. “I’m glad to join my colleagues in reintroducing this legislation to invest in the conservation of some of our nation’s most vulnerable species. It is important that we protect endangered species so they can continue serving important ecological roles for years to come.”

    The statement says that the Extinction Prevention Act "addresses the longstanding issue of insufficient funding which has plagued efforts to recover these at-risk species, in some cases, for decades." It authorizes $5 million annually for each species group to fund conservation projects related to: restoration, protection, and management of ecosystems;
research and monitoring of populations; development and implementation of management plans;
enforcement and implementation of applicable conservation laws; and community outreach and education.
    The statement says that "Habitat protection for these less charismatic species is chronically underfunded despite them being among the species most at risk of extinction. North American butterflies—one of the fastest declining groups of all endangered species—have not seen a single species improve among the 39 listed.
     "The situation is equally dire in Hawai'i and the Pacific Islands, where nearly 400 plant species are threatened or endangered, representing about 22 percent of all listed species. In Hawai'i, over 200 plant species have dwindled to fewer than 50 wild individuals.
    "Freshwater mussels are currently the most imperiled animal group in the country, with 70 percent of U.S. species at risk of extinction and 38 species already lost. Southwest desert fish are being threatened by drought and water scarcity, resulting in significant population and habitat reductions. Currently, 42 species are listed as endangered or threatened."
    Eligible applicants for funding include relevant states, territories, tribal governments, or any other entities with the expertise required for the conservation of the particular species group. The bill is endorsed by the Endangered Species Coalition; Center for Biological Diversity; and the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium Freshwater Mussel Conservation and Research Center The full text of the bill is available here. A fact sheet about the bill is available here.