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OHA grants to assist housing, business programs in Maui County

    Hawai‘i Community Lending Grants and Loans

    The Maui News

    The Office of Hawaiian Affairs on Tuesday approved a $1.36 million grants package, which includes funding for programs in Maui County.

    This includes an Economic Stability Grant of $398,000 that was awarded to Hawai’i Community Lending for its Native Hawaiian Owner-Builder Project, which will increase the economic stability of 58 native Hawaiians in Naiwa, Molokai, by establishing a culturally relevant program that will increase access to capital, credit and technical assistance for native Hawaiians to build and own homes on Hawaiian home lands, according to an OHA news release.

    The Purple Mai’a Foundation, which has programs online, was given a $498,660 award for its Malama Design Studio.

    The studio is intended to educate 20 native Hawaiian business owners through a collaborative design research process that will result in the implementation of a technology solution that can improve their businesses and ultimately cultivate economic development for Hawaiian communities. Each participant will be provided a $2,500 stipend to implement a technology solution that improves their business.

    Two Health Community Grants were also announced, including a $220,000 award to Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike Building Program, based in Hana, for its Mana ‘Aina, Mauli Ola project and a $250,000 award to Alu Like Inc., for its Koho Pono project. Alu Like also has services in Maui County.

    OHA’s Health Community Grants supports initiatives, leverages partnerships and engages in strategies to promote healthy and strong families.

    “We are proud to partner with such outstanding entities like Purple Mai’a, Hawai’i Community Lending, Ma Ka Hana ‘Ike Building Program and Alu Like, Inc., to address the economic and health needs of our people, and we salute them for their innovative strategies and programs that will serve native Hawaiians,” said OHA Board Chair Carmen “Hulu” Lindsey, who is also the Maui trustee.

    For more visit www.oha.org/strategicplan. 

    See the Maui News.

    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 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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