Waiwai Ho’opa’a: Equitable Access to Housing, Food Security, and Recreation for families in Puna
The Sustainability, Equity, & Justice Fund Grant Program promotes sustainability by providing grants to create and implement projects that positively impact environmental, social, health, and economic practices on our campus and in our community.
Waiwai Ho’opa’a: Equitable Access to Housing, Food Security, and Recreation for families in Puna
Amount Awarded: $4,690
Academic Year: 2021-2022
Implementation: Spring/Summer 2022
Full Application: Link
Waiwai Ho’opa’a addresses core issues in the community of Puna, Hawai’i, at the nexus of affordable housing, building regulations, land use, and inclusive access to recreation through research and planning. The program will determine gaps in current policy and provide recommendations; identifying place-based models for housing, land use, and accessible recreation to enhance sustainable community development. The lessons learned through this project will begin a dialogue with similar place-based models in Washington, contributing to curricular development.
The funding is being utilized for travel expenses for two graduate students in the Urban Planning track of the Environmental Studies graduate program. Upon returning from their field studies, the students will be presenting to the undergraduate Environmental Studies and Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning programs.