Most of you might not have heard of Genshiro Kawamoto, but over the past few months, he has been in the spotlight because of his proposal to rent out his Kahala mansions for a mere $150 a month for low-income Native Hawaiian families.

This weekend, the first four Native Hawaiian low-income families will move into four of his houses on Kahala Avenue for $150 a month.  All of the houses are worth over $1 million, with most being around $2-3 million.  They are also large luxurious houses with 5 bedrooms and 5 baths.  CNN also reported that one of the homes he is renting out is 6489 square feet, which is three times the size of an average house in Oahu.  With over 3000 applicants who applied to live in these houses, only 4 were chosen.  Kawamoto plans to choose 4 more families very soon.

Of course this sparked controversy in Hawaii, because some say it is unfair to rent out these luxurious houses to a particular race.  Those who live in the prestigious area of Kahala Avenue also voiced their concern because they feel it will bring down the value of the area.  Residents in the area also fear that because the Native Hawaiians have large families, loud parties will also disrupt the quiet neighborhood.  Kawamoto’s reply to this last year was basically, if the residents can’t take it, they should leave because they have the money to move, whereas the low-income Native Hawaiians have never been fortunate enough to live in housing like this.  This answer deserves applaud.

Kawamoto owns over 160 homes in Hawaii.  He bought 20 homes for $115 million on Kahala Avenue in 2002, and has kept them vacant until now.  Four of the homes will be converted to public museums which will display his collection of Western and Oriental Art (source: CNN.com).

Despite the controversy, I’m actually proud of the 75 year old billionaire from Japan, who didn’t have to do what he did to help the Native Hawaiians.  He has no ties to Hawaii, isn’t even American, and just decided to help Native Hawaiians who have been having a hard time with money.  This is very admirable in my eyes, and I’m glad he did what he did.  The residents on Kahala Avenue shouldn’t be complaining because they aren’t helping and are just worried about the value of their property.  What they fail to realize is that Kawamoto is giving a new life to these Native Hawaiians, a life that residents there have been taking for granted.

So thank you Kawamoto.  You did the right thing.

• Update: Million Dollar Homes Rented for FREE
• Kawamoto Chooses the Next Five Families
• Hawaii Ranked 11th for Highest Personal Income

               
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