A community of houseless people
working to bring everyone home.
"Not homeless—a village without a place."
— Twinkle Borge, PuÊ»uhonua O WaiÊ»anae village leader
Puʻuhonua O Waiʻanae is a community of around 200 unhoused people near Waiʻanae Boat Harbor on Oʻahu.
Home to keiki, kÅ«puna, and working families, two-thirds are Native Hawaiian. Previously led by the late Twinkle Borge, affectionately known as “Mama,” the village remains a refuge and model community, now guided by the leaders she trained and mentored over the years.
Residents share kuleana, care for children, create rules, and engage in service. It’s a place of healing from trauma, addiction, or illness. In 2018, facing eviction, Governor David Ige helped secure time for planning. By 2020, we raised funds to purchase 20 acres in WaiÊ»anae Valley and began clearing land and building structures.
Today, we’re raising funds to expand the PuÊ»uhonua O WaiÊ»anae Farm Village. This combines modern and traditional Hawaiian communal living to provide affordable, stable housing for up to 250 people.
Our Model Works
Building a comparable shelter would cost over $7 million and $2 million annually to operate. Unlike most houseless individuals, village residents avoid costly ER visits, reducing unnecessary ambulance rides by 2,400 annually, saving $2.4M. Ambulances are called to the village fewer than 12 times a year, as residents access regular healthcare and refill prescriptions.
Village leaders bridge gaps with social services, law enforcement, and welfare agencies, saving labor and tax dollars. In six months, the village helped many secure housing without relying on shelters or transitional housing.
PuÊ»uhonua O WaiÊ»anae shows that community provides an answer to HawaiÊ»i’s—and maybe the nation’s—affordable housing crisis.
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With real estate prices soaring and affordable housing too slow and costly, HawaiÊ»i faces tough questions: Can working families live here? PuÊ»uhonua O WaiÊ»anae offers a solution—community. Everyone contributes, whether working, caring for keiki, cooking, gardening, or maintaining shared spaces.
A communal lifestyle is more affordable and sustainable. Shared kitchens, bathrooms, and resources reduce costs. Collective efforts like growing food, conserving energy, and investing in solar lower bills. Community gives purpose and stability, proving it’s a valuable asset.
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Effective partnering with service providers
Mama Twinkle receives National Service Award from President Biden
We are deeply grateful to the people and companies that have donated time, expertise, and materials to begin building the Puʻuhonua O Waiʻanae Farm Village:
Agribusiness
Albert Chong Associates
Alexander & Baldwin
Aloha Trucking
Andrea Aegerter, Architect
Andrew Ogawa
Anonymous Donors
Atelier 5 Design
Cades Schutte LLP
The Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation
Central Pacific Bank
Colbert & Gail Matsumoto
Control Point Surveying
Cornerstone Management
Cultural Surveys Hawaii
G70
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Alan Ong, A&M Developments
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Chad Johnston, Wayfinder Pacific
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Jake Johnson, Hale Partners
Design Partners Incorporated
DLNR, Division of Forestry & Wildlife
DR Horton Hawaii
Engineering Concepts Inc.
EnviroServices
First Hawaiian Bank
GeoLabs, Inc.
Grace Pacific
Grassroots from GoFundMe
Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation
Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization
Hawaiian Community Lending
HomeAid Hawaii:
HPM Building Supply
Hui Aloha
Hui Kú Maoli Ola
InSynergy Engineering
Island Insurance Foundation
Jake Johnson Designs
JAS Architects
Kai Engineering
Kataly Foundation
Lee Martin LLP
Lily Cabinatan
Martin, Chock & Carden
Michael B. Thomas, Island
Natalie Snyder-Pond, Architect
O'ahu Agriculture & Conservation Association
Park Engineering
PBR Hawaii
Pono Pacific
Pragmatic Professional Engineers
REITWay Foundation
Robert & Melissa Bruhl
Royal Contracting Co., Ltd.
Schuler Family Foundation
State Grant-In-Aid
The Jones Family Foundation
The Pietsch Family
The Pueo Project
Toby and Tracy Tonaki
Trees of the Tropics
Ward Villages Foundation Fund
Wayne Pitluck & Judy Pyle
William & Eva Price
Zilber Family FoundationO'ahu