Paige Kapiolani Barber inherited her mother's name, her Hawaiian activism and her company, the Nanakuli Housing Corp.

Barber's mother - also named Paige Barber - was an integral part of laying the foundation of the Hawaiian cultural renaissance of the 1970s.

“;I remember falling asleep under cafeteria tables”; at rallies her mother attended, listening to passionate arguments for various causes, said Barber, nicknamed “;Kapio.”; “;All of us kids (became) native Hawaiian radicals,”; she added.

Her late mother believed homeownership was the major steppingstone to financial independence and the realization of a better life for native Hawaiians, Barber said. Her mother formed the nonprofit Nanakuli Housing Corp. in 1989, “;the quintessential grass-roots organization born out of a community who needed services,”; and ran it from the kitchen table, Barber added.

The company was set up primarily to help Hawaiians in Nanakuli qualify for a low-interest loan to buy or repair a home by teaching them fiscal responsibility, incorporating the cultural idea of “;kuleana,”; or “;taking care of your own stuff,”; Barber said. The company later included all homeowners - with “;special aloha”; for Hawaiian households - in its programs.

Company bylaws state, “;Our vision is that every native Hawaiian family will have their own home. Our mission is that every native Hawaiian family, regardless of income status, will build their personal assets through home ownership.”;

Since 2004, through the company's financial literacy program, “;we have trained 450 families, and 125 families are in their homes,”; Barber said.

Since 2004, Nanakuli Housing has received $2 million in grants, mostly from the Administration for Native Americans, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Native American Housing Assistance and Self Determination Act, state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Consuelo Foundation and other organizations, she said.

At self-help home repair workshops since 2005, “;we have trained 120 registered individuals, but all brought ohana with them, so I would take that number and multiply by three,”; Barber said.

Her father, Bert Barber, is one of the main teachers - “;he can fix anything!”;