Title 12, Banks and BankingRelease 119-73not60

§1715z–12 Single-family Mortgage Insurance on Hawaiian Home Lands

Title 12 › Chapter 13— NATIONAL HOUSING › Subchapter II— MORTGAGE INSURANCE › § 1715z–12

Last updated Apr 3, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary may insure a mortgage for a one- to four-family home on Hawaiian home lands under any HUD law that allows it, even if normal title or other limits would stop it, when three things are true: the mortgage is made by a native Hawaiian on property inside Hawaiian home lands held under a homestead lease issued under section 207(a) of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920 (or the matching State of Hawaii constitutional provision); the home will be the borrower’s main residence; and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is a co‑mortgagor, or promises to repay any insurance claim, or gives other security the Secretary accepts. The Secretary may also insure and commit to insure construction advances for such mortgages if the construction is acceptable and no feasible financing is available. The insurance must be paid from the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund. Mortgage lenders get the insurance benefits in section 1710, with references to section 1709 read as the section that insured the loan. “Native Hawaiian” means a person with not less than one-half part Hawaiian blood (or a lower percent allowed for transfers or succession under sections 208 or 209). “Hawaiian home lands” means lands given that status under section 204. Holding a section 207(a) lease is enough to prove eligibility.

Full Legal Text

Title 12, §1715z–12

Banks and Banking, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary, subject to such conditions as the Secretary may prescribe, may insure under any provision of this subchapter that authorizes such insurance, a mortgage covering a property upon which there is located a one- to four-family residence, without regard to any limitation in this chapter relating to marketability of title or any other limitation in this chapter that the Secretary determines is contrary to promoting the availability of such insurance on Hawaiian home lands, if—
(1)the mortgage is executed by a native Hawaiian on property located within Hawaiian home lands covered under a homestead lease issued under section 207(a) of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, 1920, or under the corresponding provision of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii adopted under section 4 of the Act entitled “An Act to provide for the admission of the State of Hawaii into the Union”, approved March 18, 1959 (73 Stat. 5);
(2)the property will be used as the principal residence of the mortgagor; and
(3)the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands of the State of Hawaii (A) is a comortgagor; (B) guarantees to reimburse the Secretary for any mortgage insurance claim paid in connection with a property on Hawaiian home lands; or (C) offers other security acceptable to the Secretary.
(b)Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the Secretary may, with respect to mortgages eligible for insurance under subsection (a), insure and make commitments to insure advances made during construction if the Secretary determines that the proposed construction is otherwise acceptable and that no feasible financing alternative is available.
(c)Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the insurance of a mortgage using the authority contained in this section shall be the obligation of the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund. The mortgagee shall be eligible to receive the benefits of insurance as provided in section 1710 of this title with respect to mortgages insured pursuant to this section, except that all references in section 1710 of this title to section 1709 of this title shall be construed to refer to the section under which the mortgage is insured.
(d)For purposes of this section:
(1)The term “native Hawaiian” means any descendant of not less than one-half part of the blood of the races inhabiting the Hawaiian Islands before January 1, 1778, or, in the case of an individual who is awarded an interest in a lease of Hawaiian home lands through transfer or succession, such lower percentage as may be established for such transfer or succession under section 208 or 209 of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920 (42 Stat. 111), or under the corresponding provision of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii adopted under section 4 of the Act entitled “An Act to provide for the admission of the State of Hawaii into the Union”, approved March 18, 1959 (73 Stat. 5).
(2)The term “Hawaiian home lands” means all lands given the status of Hawaiian home lands under section 204 of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920 (42 Stat. 110), or under the corresponding provision of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii adopted under section 4 of the Act entitled “An Act to provide for the admission of the State of Hawaii into the Union”, approved March 18, 1959 (73 Stat. 5).
(e)Possession of a lease of Hawaiian home lands issued under section 207(a) of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920 (42 Stat. 110), shall be sufficient to certify eligibility to receive a mortgage under this section.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, 1920, referred to in subsec. (a)(1), is act July 9, 1921, ch. 42, 42 Stat. 108. The Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920, referred to in subsecs. (d) and (e), probably means the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, 1920. section 204, 207, 208, and 209 of that Act were classified to section 698, 701, 702, and 703 of Title 48, Territories and Insular Possessions, and were omitted from the Code. section 4 of the Act entitled “An Act to provide for the admission of the State of Hawaii into the Union”, approved Mar. 18, 1959 (73 Stat. 5), referred to in subsecs. (a)(1) and (d), is section 4 of Pub. L. 86–3, Mar. 18, 1959, 73 Stat. 5, which is set out as a note preceding section 491 of Title 48.

Amendments

2008—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 110–289 substituted “Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund” for “General Insurance Fund established in section 1735c of this title” and struck out “(1) all references in section 1710 of this title to the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund or the Fund shall be construed to refer to the General Insurance Fund; and (2)” after “except that”. 2001—Subsec. (d)(1), (2). Pub. L. 107–73, § 215(1), added pars. (1) and (2) and struck out former pars. (1) and (2) which read as follows: “(1) The term ‘native Hawaiian’ means any descendant of not less than one-half part of the blood of the races inhabiting the Hawaiian Islands before
January 1, 1778 (or, in the case of an individual who succeeds a spouse or parent in an interest in a lease of Hawaiian home lands, such lower percentage as may be established for such succession under section 209 of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, 1920, or under the corresponding provision of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii adopted under section 4 of the Act entitled ‘An Act to provide for the admission of the State of Hawaii into the Union’, approved
March 18, 1959 (73 Stat. 5)). “(2) The term ‘Hawaiian home lands’ means all lands given the status of Hawaiian home lands under section 204 of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, 1920, or under the corresponding provision of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii adopted under section 4 of the Act entitled ‘An Act to provide for the admission of the State of Hawaii into the Union’, approved
March 18, 1959 (73 Stat. 5).” Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 107–73, § 215(2), added subsec. (e). 1988—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 100–242, § 429(h), substituted “mortgagor” for “Mortgagor”. Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 100–628 clarified amendment by Pub. L. 100–242, § 413(a), (b). Pub. L. 100–242, § 413(a), (b), made amendment identical to Pub. L. 100–202. See 1987 Amendment note below. 1987—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 100–202 added subsec. (c). Former subsec. (c) redesignated (d). Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 100–202 extended subsec. (c)(1) term “native Hawaiian” to include in the case of succession in an interest in a lease of Hawaiian homelands any descendant of a percentage less than one-half of the blood of the races inhabiting the Hawaiian Islands before Jan. 1, 1778, as may be established under statute or constitution for succession; and redesignated subsec. (c), including such par. (1), as subsec. (d).

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

12 U.S.C. § 1715z–12

Title 12, Banks and Banking

Last Updated

Apr 3, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60