Breaking News Alerts

We'd like to send you alerts when breaking news happens. Hide this Message

Press "Allow" to Activate

Search
Aloha, !
My Profile | Logout
Aloha, Guest!
Login | Register
  • News Topics
    • Front Page
    • Maui News
    • 2022 Election
    • Business
    • Food & Dining
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Real Estate
    • Crime Statistics
    • Local Sports
  • Weather & Surf
    • Weather Forecast
    • Surf Report
  • Lifestyle & Culture
    • Maui Arts & Entertainment
    • Food and Dining
    • Real Estate
    • Obituaries
  • Opinion
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Maui Discussion
    • Reader Survey
  • Events Calendar
    • Upcoming Maui Events
    • Map of Events
    • Post an Event
  • Job Listings
    • Maui Jobs
    • Recent Job Listings
    • Job Alerts
    • Post a Job
  • Special Sections
    • IMUA Discovery Garden
    • Medical Minute
  • Video
    • Latest Maui Videos
  • × Close Menu
  • About Maui Now
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Information
  • Get the App
  • Advertising
  • Meet the Team
Choose Your Island:
  • Kauai
  • Maui
  • Big Island
Copyright © 2023 Pacific Media Group
All Rights Reserved

Privacy Policy | About Our Ads

Maui Now
Search
Aloha, !
My Profile | Logout
Aloha, Guest!
Login | Register
    Maui Now
  • Sections
  • Maui News
  • Business
  • Weather
  • Entertainment
  • Election
  • Real Estate
  • Jobs
  • Obituaries
  • Opinion

Real Estate

Chelsie Evans named executive director at Hawaiian Community Assets

February 12, 2022, 6:47 AM HST
Play
Listen to this Article
4 minutes
Loading Audio... Article will play after ad...
Playing in :00
A
A
A

Chelsie Evans named executive director of Hawaiian Community Assets. PC: courtesy


Hawaiian Community Assets announced that Chelsie Evans will lead efforts going forward as the organization’s new Executive Director.

Jeff Gilbreath, who served as Interim Executive Director for the past year and previously led the organization from 2011 through 2019, will now focus exclusively on his role as Executive Director for Hawaii Community Lending, HCA’s partner organization.

The announcement comes at an exciting time for HCA and HCL as they have established the nation’s first-and-only network of Financial Opportunity Centers on all four islands and seen a 200% increase in the amount of affordable loans provided over the last two years. Together, the two organizations work to build the capacity of low- and moderate-income families, especially Native Hawaiians, to achieve and sustain economic self-sufficiency by increasing income, building assets, and securing affordable housing.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD

At HCA, Chelsie Evans will direct the organization which runs Hawai‘i’s largest Department of Housing and Urban Development-certified housing counseling agency, serving over 1,500 local residents annually with free financial counseling, income supports, and career coaching.

Helping Native Hawaiian and local residents fulfill their dreams of homeownership is a natural job path for Chelsie. As the former Executive Director of Maui Hui Mālama, an organization that focuses on eliminating barriers for at-risk youth, Chelsie has a deep empathy for what many Native Hawaiians face on a daily basis. She has overcome challenges in her own life, and housing security has been a consistent barrier. Her struggles to secure housing while raising her son as a teen mom, and through job loss while taking care of her medically fragile daughter have not been an easy road. It is these experiences that have led Chelsie to the doorstep of Hawaiian Community Assets, ready to serve and advocate for Hawai‘i’s people. 

With her roots in Makawao, Chelsie has traveled among the islands and has had the privilege of working with the Pana‘ewa Hawaiian Homestead community in advocacy for community development with Lili‘uokalani Trust. From there, she moved on to other organizations that helped her to grow as a native Hawaiian leader and provided her the opportunity to serve survivors of domestic violence, keiki displaced from their homes, and youth with barriers to their educational and career goals. 

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD

Chelsie’s keiki Tre’, Lhaia, and Violet have been the core of her desire to serve our community. While being a mom, she balanced her college classes, eventually earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in human services. She spoke at national symposiums for social justice and domestic violence, and founded Wrapped in Wings, an organization which supports critically ill children and their families. In 2019, she was offered and accepted the experience of being the Executive Director of Maui Hui Mālama. 

Now as Executive Director of HCA, Chelsie is committed to creating a thriving community that gives people options for the life experiences that Hawai‘i has to offer. “My desire is to be part of a larger community that unveils the inequities that Hawai‘i’s people have to go through. I hope that my experience both personally and professionally can help in closing the housing gap, lifting our people in demanding to be a part of change, and to deliver high quality financial and housing programs that are of the utmost need for our community.”

As a 501(c)3 community development nonprofit and HUD-certified housing counseling agency, HCA has a range of options for local families experiencing hardship or pursuing economic opportunities, from financial counseling and career coaching, to access to debt consolidation and down payment loans, and emergency grants and loans made available by HCL. 

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD

The latest offering of HCA and HCL is a series of workshops aimed at preventing foreclosures on Hawai‘i Island and Kaua‘i by providing options and financial assistance for homeowners. The “Know Your Options to Prevent Foreclosure” workshopsare part of the Homeowner Assistance Fund, a $5-million pilot program administered by HCL, which launched on both islands in November 2021. Homeowners are encouraged to register for one of the hour-long online workshops by calling 808-587-7656 or registering at www.hawaiiancommunity.net.

In addition to its online presence, HCA runs four Financial Opportunity Centers on Maui, O‘ahu, Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i Island. At the centers, HCA’s professionally trained financial counselors provide benefits such as renter and homebuyer workshops, individualized financial counseling, and access to grants and loans. With 12 counselors, HCA offers the largest number of HUD-certified counselors in the state.  

“All of us at HCA and HCL have been called on to do more during these tough times to ensure that residents have the help they need, and that our outdated affordable housing systems are overhauled so our local people can live and raise their families here,” Jeff Gilbreath says. “The growth we have experienced made it critical for HCA to have a dedicated leader with multifaceted experience, and we have found that person in our new ED Chelsie Evans. The two of us heading up these sister organizations will better position us to re-envision a system that sees our local people and communities as our greatest assets, and that housing is a human right, not a privilege.” 

For more information, please contact HCA toll-free 866-400-1116.

Maui Jobs View All Jobs Chevron Forward

Maui Health
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant - Kula Hospital
Upcountry Maui · 1 week ago

Kā‘anapali Beach Hotel
Front Office Agent
West Maui · 3 weeks ago

Maui Health
Anesthesia Tech - Maui Memorial Medical Center
Central Maui · 4 days ago
MW Commercial Realty Inc
Janitorial Worker
South Maui · 2 days ago
Looking for locally based talent?
Post a Job Listing

Sponsored Content

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Stay in-the-know with daily or weekly
headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Cancel
×

Related Articles

  • Hawaiian Community Assets Hiring 3 Full-Time…
    May 28, 2021
  • Hawaiian Community Assets Launches New Web Presence…
    November 23, 2021
  • Max Novena named Executive Director of Sentry…
    May 10, 2022
  • New executive director named to Maui Hui Mālama
    August 10, 2022
  • Air Assets Used to Battle Ukumehame Fire, 70% Contained
    September 12, 2020
  • GoFundMe set up for Maui firefighter, Tre Evans-Dumaran
    January 31, 2023
Make the most of your Maui vacation with these top-rated activities: Maui Top 20: Maui Visitor & Tourism Information

Comments

This comments section is a public community forum for the purpose of free expression. Although Maui Now encourages respectful communication only, some content may be considered offensive. Please view at your own discretion. View Comments
View All Events: List Circle List Map
UPCOMING FEATURED EVENTS:
Add Post an Event More Events Chevron Forward
Trending Now
1Proposed Tourism Carrying Capacity Study Gets Early Support From Maui Residents 2Maile Amber Alert Missing Endangered 3 Month Old Child Hoku Nui Pueo Wada 3Maui Police Thank The Public Following Successful Recovery Of Baby In Custodial Case 4Police Renew Request For Assistance In Finding Woman Who Went Missing On Maui In 2019 5Family Of Maui Firefighter Tre Evans Dumaran Confirms His Passing 6Kakoo Haleakala Calls For The Removal Of Telescopes Following Diesel Fuel Spill On Maui
Arrow UpBack to Top
  • Maui News
  • Maui Business
  • Weather
  • Entertainment
  • Maui Surf
  • Maui Sports
  • COVID-19 Updates
  • Crime Statistics
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Maui Activities
  • Maui Discussion
  • Food and Dining
  • Real Estate
  • Events
  • What’s Open
  • Maui Jobs
  • About Maui Now
  • Contact Information
  • About Our Ads
  • App
  • Newsletter
  • Terms of Service

Copyright © 2023. Pacific Media Group.
All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy | About Our Ads

Facebook YouTube Twitter Instagram