Hawaiʻi Community Lending welcomes former OHA loan manager to leadership team

The nonprofit community development financial institution, Hawai‘i Community Lending, has hired Aikue Kalima, former Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan Fund Manager for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, as its lending director. 

Kalima comes to HCL with more than 25 years of experience in community development and mortgage lending. In his new position, Kalima will direct HCL’s consumer, construction, mortgage and small business lending.

“As a native Hawaiian and Hawaiian Home Lands beneficiary, I understand the financial needs for economic development and quality housing for kānaka is great,” said Kalima, who led OHA’s deployment of $9.8 million in loans to 286 native Hawaiians statewide over the last five years. “For over 25 years, I have worked tirelessly at the grassroots level, educating kānaka on the skills necessary to achieve the dream of homeownership and providing resources to achieve financial sustainability. I plan to continue serving the lāhui empowering ‘ohana and communities as the lending director for Hawai‘i Community Lending.”

Kalima takes the reins of HCL’s $16-million revolving loan fund and will oversee a team of seven staff members statewide.

“HCL is honored to have Aikue join us in our mission to help tackle our housing crisis by funding native Hawaiian and local families to build, buy and save homes from foreclosure,” said HCL Executive Director Jeff Gilbreath. “He has proven leadership in both the public and private sectors and has the passion to get families on the land through homeownership.”

Kalima will become the third Hawaiian Home Lands beneficiary to join HCL’s senior management team and will serve alongside Haarell Janer, finance director; Kahaunani Mahoe-Thoene, servicing director; and Chanel Josiah, community development director. With this new addition, HCL’s top leadership share more than 80 years of experience in community development, with an average age of 40.

“Our organization’s directors represent a new generation of leaders who are passionate, collaborative and creative,” Gilbreath said. “We are committed to addressing Hawai‘i’s housing crisis by changing systems to be more responsive to people, building trust-based partnerships, and getting access to capital and credit to our people who have been shut out from the mainstream financial system.”

For more information about HCL, visit www.HawaiiCommunityLending.com.