Under a partnership between the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and Hawaiʻi Community College, a home built by students in the college’s Model Home Program was dedicated this month in the Hawaiian homestead community of Keaukaha on Hawaiʻi Island.
Students in the program turned over the keys to a three-bedroom, two-bath home that they built for the department at a cost to the future homeowner of $199,935.
Hawaiian Home Lands beneficiary Denice Keliʻikoa is the prospective homeowner for the home. She has been on the Hawaiian homes waiting list since January 1986.
A traditional Hawaiian ceremony called moku ka piko, meaning the cutting of the umbilical cord, was performed to initiate the new home. The symbolic piko was made of plant materials gathered by Hawaiʻi Community College students and woven together, with each plant possessing a specific reason for its use.
This year’s model home comes equipped with a solar water heater system and a 4KW photovoltaic system. Many other green features were incorporated, including Energy Star qualified appliances, Energy Star metal roofing and radiant barrier sheathing, low VOC paints, CFL lighting and native plant landscaping.
Watch a video of the dedication event covered by Big Island Video News.
Hawaiʻi Community College Model Home Program
The model home program provides vocational technical students an opportunity to obtain job skills through the construction of a house that is sold to a Hawaiʻi family as an affordable home.
This is the 45th home to be built under this program, which began in 1965. Since its inception, over 3,630 Hawaiʻi Community College drafting, carpentry, electrical, agriculture, welding and diesel students have participated in the program and gained on-the-job experience in home construction.
The model home program was initiated as part of the instructional program at Hawaiʻi Community College. The Architectural, Engineering and CAD Technologies program designs the home and the Carpentry program carries out the basic construction.
The Agriculture program designs and furnishes the minimal, low maintenance landscape and maintains the grounds until the home is accepted by the prospective owner.
The Machine, Welding and Industrial Mechanics Technologies program provides equipment and labor to lift and install the pre-trusses. The Diesel Mechanics program does the grubbing, landscaping and mulching of the shrub and trees to be used for landscaping with assistance from the Department of Transportation.
Hawaiʻi Community College also coordinates the painting, plumbing, and drywall subcontracting work.
