A Native Hawaiian–led project returning ʻāina, opportunity, and self-determination to our people.
H O M E
Prince Kūhiō’s Legacy — Building Homes. Building Economic Self-Sufficiency.
A Native Hawaiian–founded initiative that donates land back to DHHL, creates new revenue for housing, and invests in future leaders.
For over a century, Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole’s vision has guided our people — that Native Hawaiians would live, thrive, and prosper on our own lands.
The Prince Kūhiō Gateway fulfills that promise.
Led by Kalanianaʻole Development, a Native Hawaiian–owned company founded by Patti Ann Tancayo, this project transforms 22.7 acres of ʻEwa land into a gift — one that strengthens DHHL, empowers homesteaders, and creates lasting opportunity for generations to come.
→ Read Patti’s Letter to the Community
→ Learn How Gateway Strengthens DHHL
Building homes is only the beginning — building economic strength is how we secure our future.
L E T T E R
An Open Letter to Our Lāhui
Aloha mai kākou,
I want to speak directly and openly about the Prince Kūhiō Gateway Project and what it truly represents for our lāhui.
As a Native Hawaiian beneficiary of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL), I’ve spent my career focused on creating housing opportunities for our people—over 1,000 affordable homes across the pae ʻāina. My professional journey has always been guided by kuleana: to build, to give back, and to make sure our people have a place to call home.
Some have raised questions about my professional relationship with DHHL Director Kali Watson. It’s true that we’ve shared years of experience in affordable housing. That relationship reflects a continuity of service, not control—rooted in shared values of aloha ʻāina and pono, not personal influence.
The Prince Kūhiō Gateway is a Native Hawaiian–led, income-generating project donation—a gift of 22.7 acres in ʻEwa that will be transferred to DHHL at no cost, fully entitled, environmentally cleared, and ready to generate ongoing revenue for housing and infrastructure.
All project approvals are determined collectively by the DHHL Commission in public meetings. No one person—including myself or the Director—has authority to decide alone. That’s transparency and accountability in action.
This project doesn’t take from the Trust—it strengthens it. It delivers a self-sustaining economic engine designed to support housing for generations of Hawaiian families still waiting.
I understand the distrust many feel; it comes from decades of broken promises and underfunding. But this is our chance to do things differently—to build with integrity, to lead with aloha ʻāina, and to ensure that Native Hawaiians are not just beneficiaries of housing, but architects of our own future.
Me ke aloha ʻāina,
Patti Ann Tancayo
Founder, Kalanianaʻole Development
This project gives the DHHL Commission a chance to affirm what Prince Kūhiō fought for — Native Hawaiian self-determination through economic self-sufficiency.
A B O U T
From Vision to Self-Sufficiency
For more than a century, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands has carried Prince Kūhiō’s mission — to return Native Hawaiians to the land. Yet, despite that mandate, DHHL has rarely been given the resources to fulfill it.
Even with the historic $600 million appropriation from the Legislature two years ago, the cost of serving the 30,000 families still waiting for homes exceeds $6.5 billion.
That’s why the Prince Kūhiō Gateway offers a new model: a Native Hawaiian–led, income-generating project donation that provides DHHL not just land, but an ongoing source of revenue to fund housing, infrastructure, and homestead programs statewide.
Unlike typical land transfers, this project includes environmental clearances, design plans, financing, and a lease structure that creates continuous income for the Trust — all delivered at no cost to DHHL.
It’s a model of self-sufficiency: a gift that keeps giving, designed by a beneficiary for beneficiaries.
“Building homes requires funding — funding that DHHL has too often been denied. Gateway creates that revenue stream, so our people can finally move from waiting to living.”
— Patti Ann Tancayo, Founder, Kalanianaʻole Development
Gateway is led by a Native Hawaiian beneficiary who believes that self-determination begins with economic self-sufficiency — and that both are essential to the strength of our lāhui.
C O M M U N I T Y I M P A C T
The Prince Kūhiō Gateway delivers to DHHL a fully prepared, income-producing asset — 22.7 acres in ʻEwa with completed entitlements, secured investment, and a lease structure that generates annual revenue.
This project is proof that Hawaiians can lead solutions that are both pono and practical, aligning cultural values with financial sustainability.
1️⃣ LAND + LEGACY
22.7 acres transferred to DHHL — ready for use, fully entitled, and environmentally cleared.
2️⃣ REVENUE FOR HOUSING
8 percent annual ground rent on a $6 million valuation provides steady funding for DHHL housing and infrastructure statewide.
3️⃣ SHARED PROSPERITY
2 percent of proceeds are shared directly with nearby homestead associations, supporting local initiatives in Kānehili, Kaupe‘a, and Ka‘uluokahai.
4️⃣ EMPOWERING OUR FUTURE
The Pahu Manō Fund dedicates $100,000 annually to Native Hawaiian entrepreneurs, plus paid internships for youth in engineering, finance, and community development.
This isn’t a commercial venture detached from community need.
It’s an example of how Hawaiians can design projects that generate resources instead of requests — reducing dependence on temporary state appropriations and returning control to the lāhui itself.
An Income-Generating Project Donation That Strengthens Hawaiian Homes
A model of sustainability that turns ʻāina into opportunity for future generations.
The Gateway shows what Prince Kūhiō intended — that Hawaiian self-determination must include economic self-sufficiency. When we generate our own resources, we build our own future.
T h e F A C T S
Hoʻopono the Narrative — Setting the Record Straight
MYTH: This project is corrupt because Patti knows the DHHL Director.
FACT: Hawaiians have worked together in housing for decades. Professional experience and relationships are part of building capacity — not favoritism. Decisions about this project are made openly and collectively by the DHHL Commission in public meetings. No one person holds that authority on their own.
MYTH: Kalanianaʻole Development is profiting off DHHL.
FACT: The land is being donated to DHHL at no cost. KD’s work ends once the transfer and lease are complete. Revenue flows back to DHHL and homestead associations.
MYTH: The land is contaminated and unsafe.
FACT: Environmental testing and cleanup are supervised by the Department of Health, with transparency and public documentation until a No Further Action clearance is issued.
MYTH: This project benefits a few, not the community.
FACT: The revenue model dedicates 6% to DHHL infrastructure, 2% to homestead associations, and $100K annually to beneficiary-led business and education programs.
MYTH: DHHL shouldn’t engage in commercial projects — it should only build homes.
FACT: Housing requires infrastructure, and infrastructure requires revenue.
Gateway is an income-generating project donation, not a diversion from DHHL’s mission.
It provides the long-term funding DHHL needs to build more homes, faster, and with greater independence.
MYTH: Decisions about this project were made by individuals.
FACT: All project approvals are determined collectively by the full DHHL Commission in open, public meetings.
No single person — including the Chair or Director — has authority to make these decisions alone.
MYTH: This project benefits developers.
FACT: The project ends with DHHL holding the title and receiving continuing income.
Kalanianaʻole Development’s role is to deliver a completed, shovel-ready asset — not to profit from the land.
Transparency is our kuleana — every step of Gateway is reviewed and approved by the full DHHL Commission in public meetings, for the benefit of all beneficiaries.
V O I C E S OF T H E L Ā H U I
This project is supported by Hawaiians who believe in leading with kuleana, not division. Hear from those who stand with us in building a better future:
What Our People Are Saying
Trust grows through transparency — and through listening.
He Leo No Niʻihau — A Voice from Niʻihau
Testimony of Myrahann Kahikiui Kanahele Gerardo
Niʻihau Pūpū Shell Lei Maker & Cultural Practitioner
ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi:
Eia au, he kama o Niʻihau, e kūpaʻa ana i ka manaʻo e hoʻomāhuahua hou i ka pono no ko kākou lāhui. ʻO kēia papahana he ala hou e kākoʻo ai i ka hoʻi ʻana o nā kānaka ʻŌiwi i ka ʻāina me ka naʻauao a me ke kūlana pono.
Translation:
I am a child of Niʻihau, standing firm in the belief that we must continue to strengthen what is right for our lāhui. This project is a new path that supports the return of Native Hawaiians to the land, with knowledge and righteousness guiding the way.
Transparency is our kuleana — every step of Gateway is reviewed and approved by the full DHHL Commission in public meetings, for the benefit of all beneficiaries.
C O N T A C T
Let’s Talk Story
Transparency, honesty, and aloha are the foundation of this project.
We welcome dialogue, questions, and new ideas from across our lāhui.