🌱 Will Kapolei’s new homestead plan finally deliver homes—or more delays?

Hello Kapolei! Here's our latest buzz. Let's get into it. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

• Will Kapolei’s new homestead plan finally deliver homes—or more delays?
• How a new desal plant could reshape Kapolei’s future water supply
• How will Kapolei senders handle the new tax on remittances?

Also on today's calendar: Pre-Season Kapolei Hurricanes vs Waianae Seariders and 5 more events.

📸 Have a great pic of holiday decorations from around Kapolei? Post it to Kapolei photos of the day! ☃️ 🟢-🟠-🟣-🔴-🟡-🔵 ☃️

Today's riddle: Can February March? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Tuesday: Humid with a shower in spots, with a high of 83 and low of 74 degrees.
• Wednesday: Cloudy with showers around, temps: high: 81, low: 72.
• Thursday: A couple of showers, with a high of 83 and low of 70 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Hawaiʻi Is Reviving A Risky Play To Get Hawaiians Into Homes (civilbeat.org) — Native Hawaiian beneficiaries are finally receiving long-awaited homestead leases in Kapolei, including new lots in East Kapolei’s Kauluokahi and Kaupea subdivisions, even though infrastructure and homes are still years from completion. The state is reviving a controversial “paper lease” strategy to quickly cut the massive waitlist, backed by $600 million in funding but still facing big construction, financing, and trust challenges.
   

2. Desalination plant on Oahu nearing construction after three decades of work (staradvertiser.com) — A long-planned desalination plant in nearby Kalaeloa is finally nearing construction, with water expected to help serve industrial users at Campbell Industrial Park and Kapolei Business Park as early as 2028. Backed by major federal funding, the project will free up groundwater for homes and businesses across the Leeward side, partly offsetting Red Hill-related losses and preparing for rapid population growth in the ʻEwa region.
   

3. The Tradition of Remittances Continues to Bolster the Philippines, But It Also Comes at a Cost (thefilipinochronicle.com) — A Kapolei care home operator shares how she sends money home to the Philippines for relatives’ medical and funeral needs, even as a new 1% U.S. tax on cash remittances looms in 2026. The story explains how Hawaii’s Filipino community balances rising costs with the cultural tradition of Christmas aguinaldo gifts, and explores both the economic benefits and social downsides of heavy reliance on remittances.
   

4. Microchip Madness: Is your pet safe for the holidays? (khon2.com) — Kapolei pet owners can get their dogs and cats microchipped for just $10 at VCA Kapolei Animal Hospital as part of a monthlong Oʻahu-wide safety initiative. The Hawaiian Humane Society’s Microchip Madness program, running through Jan. 15, helps residents meet Hawaiʻi’s legal microchip requirement and makes it easier to reunite lost pets with their families.
   

📸 Around Kapolei

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Kapolei

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Wednesday December 17

• 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten!
  Kapolei Public Library, 1020 Manawai St, Kapolei
  10:00 am

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

Thursday December 18

• Pre-Season Kapolei Hurricanes vs Waianae Seariders
  Kapolei High School , 91-5007 Kapolei Pkwy , Kapolei
  5:30 pm
• Paint Pāʻina & The Residence Inn by Marriott Kapolei Oahu 🖌 Paint Party 🎨 BOOK NOW or 📞 808 781-2218🍷
  Residence Inn by Marriott Oahu Kapolei , 731 Kunehi St , Kapolei
  6:00 pm
• Paint Pāʻina, Paint Party @ Residence Inn, Kapolei, Oahu HI
  Residence Inn by Marriott Oahu Kapolei , 731 Kunehi St , Kapolei
  6:00 pm

Friday December 19

• Baby Storytime
  Kapolei Public Library , 1020 Manawai St , Kapolei
  11:00 am
• Ola Mau I Ka Hula program with Kumu Hula
  Kapolei Heritage Center , 91-1270 Kinoiki St Bldg #2 , Kapolei
  6:15 pm

Saturday December 20

• 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten!
  Kapolei Public Library , 1020 Manawai St , Kapolei
  10:00 am

Wednesday December 31

• HAPPY NEW YEARS EVE!!! No Paint Pāʻina Tonight BE SAFE 🖌 Paint Party 🎨 BOOK NOW or 📞 808 781-2218🍷
  Residence Inn by Marriott Oahu Kapolei , 731 Kunehi St , Kapolei
  6:00 pm

📣 Kapolei Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Tuesday December 16

• Volleyball Tournament
  Kapolei High School , 91-5007 Kapolei Pkwy , Kapolei
  8:00 am

Wednesday December 17

• Kaiser Waipio Pop-up
  Kaiser Permanente Waipio Medical Office , 94-1480 Moaniani St , Waipahu
  11:00 am

Thursday December 18

• BINGO At The Library
  ʻEwa Beach Public Library , 91-950 North Rd , Ewa Beach
  9:30 am

Saturday December 20

• Storytime (Alternating Saturdays)
  Waipahu Public Library , 94-275 Mokuola St , Waipahu
  10:30 am

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• Hi I run a local junk removal service here on Oahu.
  If nobody picks it up I can haul it away for you quick and easy pickup. Message me anytime for a quote (Nextdoor Villages of Kapolei)
• Residential curbside trash bin clean
  Instagram @mightybinsllc CALL OR TEXT (808)797-0622 to schedule your bin! (Nextdoor Kamokila Blvd)

• Hawaii Staffing posted a job opening for Warehouse Porter / Janitor in Kapolei. Apply here.
• Ross Stores posted a job opening for Early Morning Stock Associate in Kapolei. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Kapolei here.

Ok Kapolei! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don't know, but April May!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

• Help us grow by suggesting local news sources.
• Shape this newsletter with your feedback.
• List items for sale or services offered

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

Share to NextDoor     Share to Facebook