For House District 45
Keawaula, Mākua, Makaha, Waiʻanae
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When Waiʻanae Rises, Hawaii Rises
What We Need To Do
Heal the Roots. Grow the Future of Waianae
When a loʻi is struggling, you don’t blame the plant.
You clear the water, restore the soil, and care for the roots so life can grow again.
Our community deserves that same care.
For too long, the Waianae Coast has been given temporary fixes instead of real solutions. Programs come and go, but the deeper challenges — housing, opportunity, food security, and community safety — remain.
If we want real change, we must heal the roots of the problems so our community can grow strong again.
Our vision for Waianae and Makaha is built on the foundation of a healthy loʻi.
Protect Our ʻĀina
The land is not a commodity.
It is the foundation of our identity, culture, and future.
For too long, outside investors have bought up land on the Waianae Coast while local families struggle to remain in the community they grew up in. At the same time, many residents feel that decisions about military land use and expansion happen without meaningful input from the communities most affected.
Protecting our ʻĀina means:
Ensuring local people make the decisions about local issues.
Protecting cultural and environmental sites
Prioritizing land access for local families and community agriculture
Stopping displacement of longtime residents
The future of Waianae will no longer be decided by people who arenʻt from here.
It will be decided by us.
Grow Local Opportunity
Waianae has talented entrepreneurs, skilled workers, and creative families, yet too many opportunities go to outside companies instead of people who live here.
We must create space for Waianae residents to succeed.
This includes:
Supporting Waianae entrepreneurs with training and resources
Creating storefront opportunities for local businesses
Establishing community markets where local vendors can sell their goods
Encouraging investments that benefitsfamilies on the coast
When local businesses thrive, the entire community grows stronger.
Feed Community Through The Land
The loʻi teaches us that when we care for the land, the land cares for us.
Community gardens across the Waianae Coast can help strengthen food security while reconnecting families to the land.
These gardens will:
Provide fresh food for families
Support community food baskets
Teach youth agricultural skills
Rebuild connections to traditional farming knowledge
This is about more than food.
It is about self-reliance, culture, and community pride.
Heal The Roots of Violence and Homelessness
Too often, the response to homelessness and violence focuses only on the symptoms. Sweeps move people from place to place but do not solve the deeper problems. Punishment alone does not heal the conflicts that lead to violence.
If we want a safer and healthier community, we must address the root causes.
This means investing in:
Transitional housing on the Waianae Coast
Mental health and addiction support
Job training and employment programs
Community-based healing initiatives
One powerful traditional practice for restoring harmony is Ho‘oponopono, a method used to bring people together, resolve conflict, accept responsibility, and restore balance within families and communities.
By combining modern solutions with practices like Hoʻoponopono, we can build a community approach that focuses on healing, accountability, and reconciliation.
Growing The Future of Waiʻanae
It is a community rich in culture, resilience, and strength.
When we invest in our people, protect our land, honor our traditions, and create opportunities for local families, we restore the balance that allows a community to thrive.
Just like a healthy loʻi, Waianae can grow into a place where our keiki, our culture, and our future flourish.
Because when we heal the roots,
the entire community grows.
Meet Kalehua
My name is Kalehua Kaopua. I am Kanaka ʻŌiwi, born and raised on this island of Hawaiʻi, from Napoʻopoʻo. Like many Hawaiian families, my family has faced displacement — in the 1990s, we were pushed from our ʻāina, setting the stage for a life of struggle.
I spent my teenage years on the streets, navigating challenges that many of our young people face today. I have been incarcerated. I dropped out of school in the 9th grade after my ADHD went unrecognized. And I have faced addiction. But through it all, I never stopped learning. I taught myself the history, politics, and systems that shape our islands — the things I couldn’t learn in a classroom.
I have stood beside my mother while she fought to protect our lands, including opposing the development of Hōkūliʻa, and I have watched Napoʻopoʻo transform from our home into a destination for outsiders and tourists. I am not a sellout, and I never will be. My family and I have long served as caretakers of Hikiau Heiau, sacred places that remind me of our responsibility to protect the land and culture for future generations.
Today, I am six years clean from alcohol, a wife, and a mother of four. My children are my inspiration — the reason I am committed to building a stronger, safer, and more resilient Waianae and Hawaiʻi.I walk in the same shoes as many Kanaka families. I know what it means to struggle, to fight for home and culture, and to face challenges head-on. I speak truth plainly, because our people deserve honesty — good or bad.
I am running because I love our people, our home, and our ʻāina. I am running because it is time for leadership that heals the roots of our problems,
protects our land and culture, empowers our communities, and
grows a future where our keiki can thrive.
Because when we heal the roots, the entire community can grow — strong, resilient, and proud.