Template:Nhsc-v1-396
- 4. Verification, to the extent possible, of the accuracy of homesteader and acreage data to be included in the annual report.
4. Eligibility Lists
Our review has disclosed that certain improvements are needed in the procedures used to maintain the existing lists of eligible applicants for Home lands. But more important changes are needed to assure the currency and applicability of the lists and to remove uninterested applicants from the lists.
In order to qualify for inclusion on the lists a person must be 21 years of age and have at least a 50 percent native Hawaiian blood quantum. In addition, in order to actually receive a homestead lease, the person must be qualified to perform the conditions of the lease and be in need of financial assistance and not be delinquent in payment of any obligation to the State or its political subdivisions. One of the conditions of the lease is that the applicant is financially able to assume the indebtedness outstanding against the premises to be leased or to assume the indebtedness that must be incurred to enable the applicant to occupy the premises within one year after award of the lease.
The methods used to select applicants for awards from the eligibility lists have gone through various changes. According to the DHHL Annual Report for 1976-1977 there were no established or consistent procedures followed prior to 1963. Some awards were made by lottery, and other various procedures and criteria were used.
A priority system was established in 1963 where certain land areas were defined and eligible applicants were placed on an area list in priority ranking by the Hawaiian blood quantum of the applicant successor and the date of application. Three blood quantum priorities were established: Priority I successor to be 100 percent Hawaiian, Priority II successor to be from 50 up to 100 percent Hawaiian, and Priority III no qualified successor. The applications were ranged within the three priorities by date of application. In this system, applicants in Priorities II and III were not being awarded any land when there was an applicant in Priority I, regardless of the date of application.
A new system was established in 1972 whereby future applicants would no longer be ranked by blood quanum. Applicants on the existing lists would retain their ranking, but as of August 1972 all new applicants were ranked by date and time of application.
A problem with this method developed when new homestead areas were made available. The rules required that any applicant requesting transfer to another area list had to forego the original application date and be placed at the bottom of the list.
The present system was established in 1977 with the initiation of island-wide eligibility lists for all types of awards. The existing priorities and area lists were retained, and all of the previous applicants were also placed on the island-wide list in chronological order. New applicants are placed or.ly on the island-wide list in chronological order. Any awards in as. existing area oust be selected from the old area list first. If new areas are opened, the awards are to be made fron the island-wide list arid the earliest applicants are considered first. Another change was that a qualified spouse or child could assume the application rank of a deceased applicant.
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