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Building Together: Inside Hawaiʻi Community Lending

Jul 29
6 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

overlooking island view in Big Island

A Big Island homeowner's guide



If you're a Big Island family dreaming of building or buying a home, you've probably hit a familiar wall — a bank says no, the land is hard to finance, or the construction process feels impossible to navigate alone.


That's the exact gap Hawaiʻi Community Lending (HCL) was built to close.


By the numbers (per Hawaiʻi Community Lending)

6,559 Grants and Loans Originated

$203+ Million Grants and Loans Disbursed

6,547 ʻOhana in Homes


Key Takeaways


  • HCL is a nonprofit, U.S. Treasury-certified CDFI — not a bank — focused on expanding homeownership access for Hawaiʻi residents.

  • According to HCL, the organization has disbursed over $200 million, helping thousands of local families into homes.

  • HCL offers financing and assistance programs that may support different stages of the homeownership journey, including home purchase, home construction, and assistance for eligible homeowners experiencing hardship.

  • The Kūkulu Partner Program connects borrowers with participating contractors, draftsmen, suppliers, and realtors familiar withHawaiian Home Lands.

  • The Hoʻāmana program may provide financial assistance to eligible Hawaiian Home Lands lessees experiencing financial hardship, subject to program requirements, eligibility criteria, and available funding.

  • Boom Hawaiʻi Builders is an independent participant in HCL's Kūkulu Partner Program—a supporting role in HCL's larger mission, not an endorsement of any kind.


Disclosure: Boom Hawaiʻi Builders is an independent participant in Hawaiʻi Community Lending’s Kūkulu Partner Program. Participation in the program does not constitute an endorsement, certification, guarantee, or warranty by Hawaiʻi Community Lending of Boom Hawaiʻi Builders or its services. HCL does not select, supervise, or make decisions regarding construction providers or construction services. Loan eligibility, approval, terms, and financing decisions are determined solely by HCL.



Table of Contents


↪️ References



What Is Hawaiʻi Community Lending?


HCL is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) certified by the U.S. Department of Treasury.


It started in 2002 as a mortgage broker under Hawaiian Community Assets and became a formal subsidiary nonprofit in 2014.


Its purpose isn't shareholder profit — it exists to fund the affordable housing ecosystem, from homebuyer to home builder to homeowner.


Unlike a conventional bank, HCL is a mission-driven lender.


CDFIs are specialized lenders that provide financing to communities mainstream banks don't traditionally reach — and for many Big Island families building on Hawaiian Home Lands, that distinction can make a meaningful difference.



How HCL Supports Homeownership


Hoʻokele Home Program — Supports Hawaiian Home Lands beneficiaries building or buying a home, with step-by-step guidance and a dedicated Navigation Specialist for every family, plus access to participating professionals through the Kūkulu Partner network, subject to program requirements.


Loan Products — HCL offers mission-driven financing options for building, buying, and improving a home, with terms that vary by program, borrower eligibility, and market conditions. Certain programs may offer reduced-cost financing options for eligible borrowers. Program availability, eligibility requirements, rates, fees, and terms vary — always confirm current details directly with HCL.


Hoʻāmana Homeowner Assistance — Homeownership doesn't end at closing. Hoʻāmana provides financial assistance to Hawaiian Home Lands lessees facing hardship — including past-due mortgage payments, utilities, property taxes, insurance, and HOA fees — subject to program requirements and available funding.


Hawaiʻi Community Lending determines eligibility, loan approval, rates, fees, and terms. Boom Hawaiʻi Builders does not make lending decisions.



The Kūkulu Partner Program


Kūkulu means "to build." Building a home on Hawaiian Home Lands takes more than financing — it takes people who understand the process.


The Kūkulu Partner Program is HCL's network of participating professionals who support that journey: contractors, draftsmen, architects, building suppliers, realtors, and lenders.


The program is intended to connect borrowers with professionals who support their housing goals.



How to Prepare for Financing Through HCL


  1. Determine your eligibility — Confirm your Hawaiian Home Lands lease status or income-based program fit, eligibility is determined according to the applicable program requirements.

  2. Reach out to a Navigation Specialist — Every enrolled client gets a personalized Client Implementation Plan.

  3. Get your credit and debt in order — Ask about debt consolidation or credit-builder loans early.

  4. Explore the Kūkulu Partner network — Ask your Navigation Specialist about connecting with a participating partner.Confirm current rates & terms — These vary by program, credit profile, and market timing; verify directly with HCL.

  5. Ask about hardship protections up front — Understand Hoʻāmana and its eligibility requirements before you need it.



Real-World Example: Leadership Rooted in Community


"As a Native Hawaiian and Hawaiian Home Lands beneficiary, I understand the financial needs for economic development and quality housing for kānaka is great. For over 25 years, I have worked tirelessly at the grassroots level, educating kānaka on the skills necessary to achieve the dream of homeownership." 


— Aikūʻē Kalima, HCL Lending Director, formerly of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, where he led the deployment of $9.8 million in loans to 286 Native Hawaiians statewide



Where Boom Hawaiʻi Builders Fits In


Boom Hawaiʻi Builders is an independent participant in Hawaiʻi Community Lending’s Kūkulu Partner Program.


As part of this network, Boom Hawaiʻi Builders may work with families who are also working with HCL on their housing or construction goals, on the Big Island, bringing construction experience to families who are separately working with HCL's Navigation Specialists on their financing.


We share HCL's mission of helping create affordable housing opportunities throughout Hawaiʻi — and we're glad to play a small, supporting part in that larger story.


Participation in the Kūkulu Partner Program does not constitute an endorsement, certification, guarantee, or warranty by Hawaiʻi Community Lending of Boom Hawaiʻi Builders or its services. Participation does not guarantee financing or loan approval. Hawaiʻi Community Lending determines eligibility, loan approval, rates, fees, and terms. Boom Hawaiʻi Builders does not make lending decisions, and all financing decisions remain solely with Hawaiʻi Community Lending.



Frequently Asked Questions


What is Hawaiʻi Community Lending?

A nonprofit, U.S. Treasury-certified CDFI that provides home loans and financial assistance to Hawaiʻi residents, with a particular focus on Native Hawaiians and Hawaiian Home Lands beneficiaries.

No. It's a mission-driven, nonprofit CDFI, not a depository bank or credit union.

Eligibility varies by program and is determined according to the applicable program requirements — some programs serve Hawaiian Home Lands beneficiaries, others serve low-and moderate-income Hawaiʻi residents broadly. Confirm eligibility directly with HCL.


HCL's network of participating contractors, draftsmen, suppliers, architects, realtors, and lenders. The program is intended to connect borrowers with professionals who support their housing goals.

Hoʻāmana may provide hardship assistance — such as help with past-due payments, utilities, and insurance — for eligible DHHL lessees, subject to program requirements and available funding.

No. HCL is explicit that partner status is not an endorsement, certification, or guarantee of a partner's work, and does not guarantee financing or loan approval.

Visit HCL's official website and complete their contact form. HCL will follow up to discuss eligibility and next steps; response times may vary.



Ready to Talk to a Builder Who Knows the Big Island?


If you have land on the Big Island and you're trying to figure out what it will take to build on it, Boom Hawaii Builders can help.


We've built in Hilo, Kaumana, Ainaloa, Keaau, Waiākea Nani, and up to Kamuela. We’ll walk you through the process, give you honest answers about timelines and costs, and make sure you feel confident before you commit to anything.



No obligation • LIC: CT-37145 • Response within 24–48 hours



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