Photos by Cody-Fay Alameda
Hawaiian Community Assets, which for a quarter of a century has worked to enable families to achieve economic self-sufficiency, is now a chartered member of NeighborWorks® America’s network of excellence. The nonprofit reaches the entirety of Hawai‘i and has a focus on working with Native Hawaiians.
Last week, HCA, its board, state and elected officials, and staff from NeighborWorks America joined to celebrate the designation at a chartering ceremony held at the ʻImiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo. But the event was more than a celebration of the charter; it was a celebration of organization’s 25th anniversary. It was also a celebration of impact.
A history of success
“In 2024, we served over 7,300 individuals statewide,” shared Chelsie Evans, executive director of the organization. At the same time, the nonprofit improved housing situations for 4,163 clients, who received housing counseling services. Nearly two dozen clients went from renting to homeownership. Clients also decreased debt and increased incomes.
The organization, the third in the state with a NeighborWorks affiliation, will bring a bold, community-centered perspective to the NeighborWorks network. HCA is Hawai‘i’s largest HUD-approved housing counseling agency and is dedicated to building financial resilience through culturally grounded financial education and housing services. HCA launched a $25 million capital campaign this month to help further the nonprofit’s work.
“Joining the NeighborWorks network is both a milestone and a lifeline for Hawai‘i,” Evans said. “It gives Hawai‘i access to a national support system with proven tools, training and capital — helping us scale what works for our people, in our communities. This partnership amplifies our ability to deliver life-changing services.”
That includes education, housing counseling and innovative homeownership pathways like Ua Hale Aʻela, HCA’s newest rent-with-an-option-to-purchase program.
The celebration included remarks from Tiffany Jackson, the first HCA client to own a home through the program. “Walking through the door and saying, ‘This is my house’ — it’s a feeling I can’t explain,” Jackson said. “It’s stability for my children. It’s hope.” 
Under the Ua Hale Aʻela program, HCA acquires a unit for a local family to rent, then works with them to secure their finances to purchase the unit – with a goal of doing so within two years. HCA then reinvests into the next home for the next family. So far, HCA has acquired nine units this way, with four families already in their new homes. “This sustainable approach ensures that homes will be available for generations to come,” Evans said.
She explained that the Native Hawaiian mindset is to act not just for today, but for the next seven generations.
That theme and Kahua Waiwai (“foundation for wealth”), echo through much of HCA’s work. “We create solutions for today – and the next generation,” Evans said. “That means building programs that are sustainable, intergenerational and aligned with collective well-being — not just economic efficiency,” Evans said.
A ceremony and celebration
Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-HI) spoke of HCA’s impact and legacy during the celebration. “It’s teaching people not just how they’ll be able to purchase and invest in a home; it’s how they’ll invest in their community, in their neighborhood, in their neighbors and the people around them.”
In Hawaii, “we do not say where we are from, we say where we are of,” she said, adding that being “of” someplace means you have a responsibility to yourself – and also to something greater than yourself. HCA meets that responsibility.
Staff shared a written statement from Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI). “Since its creation in 2000, HCA has helped Hawai‘i families build sustainable wealth through financial education, grants, and loans,” she said. “To the leadership and staff — mahalo for 25 years of dedicated service. Congratulations on your chartering into NeighborWorks America.”
Lisa Hasegawa, senior vice president of the Western Region for NeighborWorks America, spoke of HCA's impact across
the state. “Every day the organization works to improve the lives of residents across Hawai‘i by delivering affordable housing services and accessible financial products.” The nonprofit’s focus on engaging and serving Native Hawaiian communities with tailored strategies and programs is their strength, she added. “Their inclusion in the network will bolster the national impact of NeighborWorks and deepen our impact in Native communities.”
NeighborWorks President & CEO Marietta Rodriguez said she was excited to welcome the organization to the network. “HCA’s statewide operations add to the amazing work being done by our two other organizations in the state, Hawai’i Homeownership Center and Mutual Housing Association of Hawai’i. In fiscal year 2024 alone, NeighborWorks’ investment footprint in Hawai’i reached nearly $100 million – a testament to what’s possible when national and local partnerships align. With HCA’s entry into the network, this impact will continue to grow.”
Evans has seen firsthand how the NeighborWorks network fuels impact. At a time when finding funding resources can be difficult, she said, “being a part of NeighborWorks helps ensure Hawai‘i’s communities are not left behind. We are proud to bring our voice, values, and vision to this national movement.”
A different approach to financial empowerment
Working together, HCA and partner Hawai‘i Community Lending (HCL) lead families through the homebuying process: from budgeting and savings to grants and loans. Kahua Waiwai, HCA’s approach to financial empowerment, centers cultural identity and community care. Nearly 60% of HCA’s clients identify as Native Hawaiian.
HCA is both Native-founded and Native-led, grounded in the wisdom of “our kūpuna (elders) and the innovation of our ancestors,” Evans said. “Our approach centers housing as a human right — not just a commodity — and integrates cultural identity, community history and economic empowerment as the foundation for lasting stability.”
Evans said her staff don’t just teach people how to build a budget – though that is certainly part of their work. “We create space for families to align their finances with their values.”
In the state, which is facing a statewide housing crisis, with 64,490 units needed by 2028, financial education alone is not enough to bridge the gap between income and the cost of living. Families face barriers that no budgeting worksheet can overcome, Evans explained. Hawai’i has the highest cost of living in the United States. A modest two-bedroom in Honolulu rents for an average of $4,800 a month and according to Realtor.com, the median listing for a home is currently priced at $614,000. Meanwhile, median household income is $85,000. Further, Evans said, the economy relies on tourism, but wages for those in the hospitality industry are below what’s needed to afford housing.
HCA meets those challenges through one-on-one counseling, building an ecosystem, and providing crisis budgeting tools, foreclosure prevention and emergency financial assistance.
Staff come from the communities they serve. “Our lived experience is what makes our solutions resonate,” Evans said. “We don’t separate the individual from the community — we understand that thriving households are part of thriving ecosystems. … We know our people, because we are our people.”
At HCA, staff believe housing is more than a structure; it’s a foundation for spiritual, mental and economic well-being. “That’s why we embed Native Hawaiian values into every aspect of our work and center community voice in every solution. Our greatest pride is not in the numbers we report — though they are growing — but in the lives we see being restored every day.”
