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Community March 19, 2026

Hawaiian Home Lands: The Promise That Was Never Kept

In 1920, Congress set aside 200,000 acres for Native Hawaiians. Over a century later, 28,000 families are still on the waitlist. Some have been waiting for decades.

In 1920, the United States Congress passed the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, setting aside approximately 200,000 acres of land for homesteading by Native Hawaiians. The intent was simple: provide land to displaced Native Hawaiians so they could rebuild self-sufficient communities.

It was the least the United States could do after taking 1.8 million acres. It has not even managed that.

The Waitlist

As of 2024, over 28,000 Native Hawaiian families are on the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) waitlist. Some families have been waiting for over 40 years. People have died on the waitlist. Their children have inherited their place in line.

The average wait time for a residential lease is 20 to 30 years, depending on the island and the area requested.

Where Did the Land Go?

Of the 200,000 acres set aside, large portions have been leased to non-Hawaiian commercial interests, including ranches, military installations, and commercial enterprises, at below-market rates. Some parcels were transferred to other state agencies. Others sit undeveloped because DHHL lacks the funding to build the infrastructure needed for homesteads.

The land exists. The will to develop it for its intended purpose does not.

The 50% Blood Quantum

One of the most devastating aspects of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act is its blood quantum requirement. To qualify for a homestead lease, an applicant must be at least 50% Native Hawaiian by blood.

This requirement was inserted not to protect Native Hawaiian interests but to limit the number of eligible beneficiaries. As intermarriage increases, fewer Native Hawaiians meet the threshold. The requirement is, by design, a tool of eventual extinction.

What Needs to Change

The Hawaiian Home Lands trust is underfunded by an estimated $600 million. The waitlist grows every year. The blood quantum requirement excludes increasingly larger portions of the Hawaiian community.

Every year that the waitlist grows is another year that the promise of 1920 remains broken. The land was supposed to be for Hawaiians. It still can be, but only if the political will exists to make it happen.

Historical Context

The Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920 set aside 200,000 acres for Native Hawaiian homesteads. Over a century later, the program is underfunded by $600 million, with 28,000+ families on the waitlist and a 50% blood quantum requirement that excludes growing numbers of Native Hawaiians.

Take Action

Contact the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to learn about the waitlist and beneficiary services. Support legislative efforts to increase DHHL funding and reform the blood quantum requirement. Attend DHHL community meetings to voice your concerns about wait times and land use.