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Prevent foreclosure with Hawaii Community Lending Foreclosure help workshops
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Know Your Options to Prevent Foreclosure Workshops

Homeowners on Hawai‘i Island and Kaua‘i are encouraged to register for one of the “Know Your Options to Prevent Foreclosure” hour-long workshops by calling (808) 587-7656.

Prevent foreclosure with Hawaii Community Lending Foreclosure help workshops

A workshop aims to prevent foreclosures on Hawai‘i Island and Kaua‘i by providing options and financial assistance for homeowners. The series is presented by Hawai‘i nonprofits including Hawai‘i Community Lending (HCL) and Hawaiian Community Assets (HCA), together with the counties of Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i.

Registration for these workshops is currently closed.

“Know Your Options to Prevent Foreclosure” is part of HCL’s Homeowner Assistance Fund pilot program, which launched on both islands in November 2021. The one-hour workshops will be conducted online starting in January 2022. Homeowners on Hawai‘i Island and Kaua‘i are encouraged to participate in one of the scheduled workshops to learn about options for preventing foreclosures as well as free housing counseling and financial assistance available to help them keep their homes. In-person, socially distanced workshops will also be available based on homeowner requests.​

“These workshops aim to provide options and financial assistance that are most beneficial for our homeowners. They will be offered the tools to avoid foreclosure as well as sound advice from housing and financial professionals,” said Kaua‘i County Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami. “We thank our nonprofit partner, Hawai‘i Community Lending, for their diligent efforts in bringing this series of workshops to Kaua‘i and her people.”

According to HCL, current data from the Homeowner Assistance Fund pilot programs report that one in two homeowners who have expressed interest in the program have either been denied for not meeting program requirements or need assistance other than what the program offers. In response, HCL and HCA created “Know Your Options to Prevent Foreclosure” workshop series to educate homeowners on action-steps families can take to keep their home.

“As we begin to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative that our residents know their options, so that they can keep the roofs over their heads and their family homes in their families,” said Mayor Mitch Roth. “Too many of our local families are being pushed out, and we are committed to doing all we can to keep them here. That’s why we commend the work of our Office of Housing and Community Development and our partners at Hawaiʻi Community Lending for stepping up and ensuring that our community has the tools they need to succeed – for generations to come.”

Homeowners on Hawai‘i Island and Kaua‘i can access Financial Opportunity Centers on their islands for more information about the Homeowner Assistance Fund and workshop series. HCA operates four Financial Opportunity Centers located on four islands in Līhue, Kauaʻi; Hilo, Hawaiʻi; Honolulu, Oʻahu; and Wailuku, Maui. These centers are “one-stop-shops” for financial counseling, income supports, career coaching, and referrals to grants, loans and affordable mortgage financing for kama’aina.

“Our goal is to help our local homeowners navigate a complicated process to find the right option for them and their unique situation,” said HCL Executive Director Jeff Gilbreath. “The workshops will expand the reach of the Homeowner Assistance Fund pilot program and seek to educate all homeowners of the options available to stop unnecessary foreclosures.”

Homeowners are encouraged to register for the “Know Your Options to Prevent Foreclosure” workshops by calling (808) 587-7656 or follow the links above.

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About Chanel Josiah

Chanel was born and raised on Oʻahu and now resides on Kaua’i with her husband and seven children. As a 5th-generation Hawaiian Home Lands lessee and homeowner, she has firsthand knowledge of the challenges families face in accessing housing, financial opportunities and resources both on and off homesteads. Her lived experiences and professional expertise inspire her passion for supporting others and strengthen her commitment to helping local and native Hawaiian families secure and sustain homes on their ancestral ‘āina, building lasting stability for themselves and generations to come.

Chanel also serves as the Board President of Pa‘a Lima, a nonprofit organization that offers support services and education to address houselessness, mental health challenges, financial literacy, and income instability. The organization is committed to breaking generational cycles and changing lives, with a special emphasis on supporting youth aging out of foster care.

As Operations Director, Chanel oversees marketing, community engagement, technical assistance, and operations. A key aspect of her role is connecting directly with communities to understand their needs and challenges. Drawing on her personal and professional experiences, Chanel approaches these challenges holistically, blending diverse perspectives to create innovative strategies that drive meaningful and lasting change for the communities she serves. “I’m grateful to be able to share our organization’s moʻomeheu (culture), moʻolelo (story) and kaunu (passion) with communities across Hawaiʻi, partners and investors who believe in the work we do.”

Chanel is inspired by her keiki, motivating her dedication to ensuring they can build their futures here in Hawai’i. She is also inspired by her tūtū kāne, Robert William Kalanihiapo Wilcox. “He was a fearless kānaka ‘ōiwi champion who encompassed the spirit of aloha ‘āina – the love of his land, and home just as we do now.” Outside of work, Chanel enjoys reading, practicing hula, and spending time at the beach with her ʻohana.

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About Aikū’ē Kalima

Aikū’ē Kalima, former Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan Fund Manager for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, joins Hawaiʻi Community Lending as its lending director.
Kalima comes to HCL with more than 25 years of experience in community development and mortgage lending. In his new position, Kalima will direct HCL’s consumer, construction, mortgage and small business lending.
“As a native Hawaiian and Hawaiian Home Lands beneficiary, I understand the financial needs for economic development and quality housing for kānaka is great,” said Kalima, who led OHA’s deployment of $9.8 million in loans to 286 native Hawaiians statewide over the last five years. “For over 25 years, I have worked tirelessly at the grassroots level, educating kānaka on the skills necessary to achieve the dream of homeownership and providing resources to achieve financial sustainability. I plan to continue serving the lāhui empowering ‘ohana and communities as the lending director for Hawai‘i Community Lending.”
Kalima takes the reins of HCL’s $16-million revolving loan fund and will oversee a team of seven staff members statewide. “HCL is honored to have Aikū’ē join us in our mission to help tackle our housing crisis by funding native Hawaiian and local families to build, buy and save homes from foreclosure,” said HCL Executive Director Jeff Gilbreath. “He has proven leadership in both the public and private sectors and has the passion to get families on the land through homeownership.”

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About Sean

Sean Perez loves hearing about the great things Hawai‘i Community Lending is doing for the Hawaiian community. And now as HCL’s new director of finance, he is excited to be part of the team making it happen.

“I enjoy hearing the success stories of new homes that we will soon be building and finding for these families,” he says. “HCL’s mission resonates well with me and my passion to help others and assist our community.”

To this end, Sean will manage HCL’s finances, accounting, compliance, and information technology matters; working with HCL Executive Director Jeff Gilbreath and supervising three division managers. He comes to HCL with over eight years of experience in financial management in the nonprofit and private, for-profit sectors having worked in the legal, social service, health, and telecommunications industries as well as with the US Attorney’s Office of Guam and CNMI. In his previous job as director of operations for the Hawai‘i State Bar Association where he was responsible for directing the organization’s finances, Sean grew his experience in nonprofit financial management and gained extensive background in accounting, grants management, IT and human resources. These skills, in conjunction with his drive to work with the Hawai‘i community through nonprofit assistance, led Sean to HCL.

Currently living in Honolulu, Sean was born in Tamuning, Guam. When he was 10 years old, he moved to Oxnard, Calif., where he attended school and eventually community college. The Air Force Reserves beckoned him after graduation, leading him to serve three and a half years as an aircrew flight equipment technician at March Air Reserve Base. After his military service, Sean returned to his childhood home of Guam, where he went to college to obtain a degree in finance and economics, and then to pursue an MBA.

On O‘ahu, Sean enjoys family life with his fiancée and toddler son; fishing and surfing in his time off. “I look forward to accomplishing great things with HCL and creating new success stories,” he says.

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About Nikki

Nikki Hollern is a mother of five, born and raised in Upcountry Maui, but she spent the last 15 years in the beautiful town of Lahaina. Lahaina stole her heart, with the people and the town being unlike any other. After the fire, her family had to relocate to Kahului.

Her heart remains in Lahaina, and her goal is to help this amazing community get back to where they belong. She feels blessed to have the opportunity to be part of the HCL ‘ohana, helping navigate this incredibly hard time and hopefully serving as a guiding light to assist the community in returning home and coming back even stronger.

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