Members of the Puʻuhonua O Waiʻanae (POW) community are moving into a new home for the holidays.

POW, a self-governed village of approximately 200 residents located adjacent to the Waiʻanae Small Boat Harbor, had long operated as a place of refuge and collective responsibility, rather than simply an encampent for houseless individuals. 

Under the leadership of the late Twinkle Borge, POW worked to get donations of over $10 million to purchase their own land, install infrastructure and build homes for their people.  

Having secured a 20-acre parcel of land in Waiʻanae Valley in 2020, POW is actively constructing its next phase of the community – the Mauka “Farm Village” – with a goal of providing permanent homes for 250 people. Half the land is being developed for housing, with the other half set aside for agriculture.

POW leadership agreed to a November move timeline in April. A group of more than 40 people will join 45 community members already living in the farm village, with the rest of the community to follow in the coming months.

During the transition, POW and DLNR are preparing the area for transfer to the Department of Education (DOE), which plans to expand Waiʻanae High School’s Marine Science Learning Center onto the property.

The Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) has been monitoring the area for sensitive habitat, including several anchialine pools that support opaeʻula, a protected species of native shrimp. 

 

DLNR Photo