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HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – June is National Homeownership Month, a good time to raise awareness about housing assistance programs and services that help Hawaii residents achieve financial stability and resilience and build generational wealth.
“We know that Hawaii is facing a severe housing crisis, where home ownership feels unattainable for many local families,” said Chelsie Evans Enos, executive director of nonprofit Hawaiian Community Assets (HCA).
She joined HNN’s Sunrise to talk about helping families in low- and moderate-income communities, with a focus on Native Hawaiians, using culturally grounded financial education.
“Our approach is deeply rooted in Kahua Waiwai (foundation for wealth), a philosophy that integrates Native Hawaiian values into financial literacy,” she said. “We believe financial education should be accessible, culturally relevant and empowering, ensuring that individuals see themselves in the learning process.”
HCA is Hawaii’s largest Department of Housing and Urban Development-certified housing counseling agency and serves over 1,500 local residents annually with free financial counseling, income support, and career coaching. It provides emergency funds to Native Hawaiians, assistance to federal workers who have recently lost their jobs, support for families who lost their homes in the Maui wildfires, and Hawaiian Home Land beneficiary homebuyer education workshops.
Its new program Ua Hale Aʻela empowers families through a rent-with-option-to-purchase program.
“Our goal is to turn home renters into homeowners in 2 years or less,” she said. “HCA acquires a unit for a local family to rent, and we continue to work with them to secure their finances to purchase the unit. With these funds, HCA reinvests into the next unit for another family. This sustainable approach ensures that homes will be available for generations to come. Our first two families are now closing on their homes.”
From Makawao on Maui, Enos overcame her own challenges, having struggled to secure housing while raising her son as a teen mom and through job loss while taking care of her medically fragile daughter.
HCA marks its 25th year. In 2024, the nonprofit served over 7,300 clients, nearly 60 percent of whom are Native Hawaiian.
“We are working to raise $25 million over the next 2.5 years—fueling the next 25 years of impact, innovation and community-rooted solutions,” Enos said.
To support HCA, or get involved with our programs, visit HawaiianCommunity.net.
Watch the full video HERE.