Tiny Hemp hale

First recipient

The first charitable home was built for a Native Hawaiian widow who has lived on her DHHL parcel for almost a decade in a converted shipping container. She did not have a functioning bathroom/shower and rented port-a-potty. This kupuna makes ends meet by crafting clay flowers by hand and selling them at local farmers’ markets.

Impact

This proof-of-concept build represents the first in a series of small, durable homes designed to address Hawaiʻi’s housing crisis through affordable, sustainable construction. Each project provides immediate shelter while strengthening the local workforce and proving the potential of industrial hemp in Hawaiʻi’s building sector.