Many call it paradise, but for the Native people of what was once the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, being “priced out of paradise” is a very real threat. Official numbers put Hawaiʻi’s houseless population at about 6,500, the highest per capita in the country. This number is also likely an undercount, only accounting for those on the streets, beaches, or shelters and excluding the many who must resort to living with friends, family, or in other temporary housing. On Oʻahu, 28% of those counted as houseless identified as Native Hawaiian, who are 20% of the population overall.
For years, Oʻahu residents who could not find permanent shelter turned to the streets, beaches, and parks on the state’s most populous island. One of them was Twinkle Alohalani Borge, also known as Aunty Twinkle. Starting in 2006, Aunty Twinkle lived in Oʻahu’s largest and oldest houseless encampment at the Waiʻanae Boat Harbor. Despite the many forces working against her, she turned the encampment into a close-knit, loving community that provided a home without a house to 200 or so majority Native Hawaiians, including keiki (kids), kūpuna (elders), and working families.
Slowly but surely, the Harbor-side community that came to be known as Puʻuhonua O Waiʻanae, grew to become a safe haven for Oʻahu’s houseless and a model for addressing houselessness going forward. Puʻuhonua O Waiʻanae shows how communal living is more affordable and sustainable than other forms of addressing the Islands’ houseless epidemic. Unlike most houseless individuals, for example, Puʻuhonua O Waiʻanae’s community members can access healthcare and prescription refills, avoiding unnecessary ER visits and reducing ambulance rides by 2,400 a year, a $2.4M reduction in cost to the state. The benefits extend far beyond cost: local leadership acts as a bridge between its houseless populace and social services, law enforcement, and welfare agencies, saving labor and state resources. Community members also collectively share child care responsibilities, create rules for cohabitation, and engage in service to their community and the land.
In 2018, Puʻuhonua O Waiʻanae faced the threat of eviction due to then-Hawaii Governor David Ige and the Department of Land and Natural Resource’s houseless “sweeps.” Instead of disbanding, Twinkle and her community worked with the government to secure the time and resources needed to relocate. By 2020, they had raised funds to purchase 20 acres in the Waiʻanae Valley. The effort to raise funds was collaborative; funds came from individual donors, state and local governments, and organizations from across the U.S. One of those donors was Natural Investments’ long-time investee, Oweesta Corporation, the nation’s longest-standing Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) intermediary that serves exclusively Native communities.
Throughout the years, Oweesta provided Puʻuhonua O Waiʻanae funding through a couple of different avenues. First, Oweesta provided $25,000 of pass-through funding from the Federal Reserve. In 2024, Oweesta provided an additional donation as part of the CDFI Fund’s COVID-19 relief efforts to support marginalized communities. Prior to the 2024 gift, Oweesta’s team visited Puʻuhonua O Waiʻanae for a two-day experience with the community and its inhabitants. During their visit, Oweesta team members labored alongside members and learned more about the ethos of Aunty Twinkle and Puʻuhonua O Waiʻanae: “Kuleana [responsibility] wakes up the mana [power] inside.” Chrystel Cornelius, Oweesta’s President and CEO, said that her team was “completely astounded and driven” by their visit. Puʻuhonua O Waiʻanae demonstrated the long-term, sustainable potential of a community-led response to generations of colonial land dispossession. The visit culminated in Oweesta presenting a $250,000 check to Puʻuhonua O Waiʻanae, another critical step towards the community’s relocation mission.
The now-permanent Puʻuhonua O Waiʻanae Mauka Village, known as the Mauka Village, is becoming a farm-based village that will combine modern and traditional Hawaiian communal living to uplift its existing and future residents. It will combine communal, affordable housing, sustainable agriculture in the form of containerized smart farms, and community governance to create a self-sustaining village that can last the test of time. As of November 2025, more than 90 formerly houseless people now resided in village. Once completed, the Mauka Village will be able to house up to 250 residents, about 12% of Oahu’s current houseless population.
Puʻuhonua O Waiʻanae is still raising money for its move and the continued construction of its permanent home, both through partnership with the state and federal government, and through donations from individuals and organizations. In February 2026, the community secured $2 million in congressionally directed appropriations funding. This money will fund the construction of water, sewer, and road infrastructure and will help to ensure the community and its people have full access to the facilities and resources they need to survive and thrive.
Sadly, Aunty Twinkle passed away in 2024 at the age of 54. She left behind a legacy that will continue in the Waiʻanae Valley and across Hawaiʻi for generations to come. Before her passing, Aunty Twinkle established an Overseers Council, six trusted residents (mostly women) who would carry out her legacy and lead the community in her absence. Through her leadership and that of her successors, Puʻuhonua O Waiʻanae has continued to model community-centered living that uplifts rather than oppresses the island’s most disenfranchised residents.
To contribute to Puʻuhonua O Waiʻanae’s mission and to support them in recovering from the destructive storms that hit the Hawaiian Islands in March 2026, please visit their site: www.puuhonuaowaianae.com/kokua.