With construction of the first phase on a path to be completed by the end of the year, Kaulana Mahina—the new workforce housing development in Wailuku—will soon be accepting applications for its lottery process.
The development broke ground with a blessing ceremony in 2022, and is now poised for move-ins in the first quarter of 2024. Developers say Kaulana Mahina offers some hope during this critical time with so many Maui families in need of homes, and even more so following the fires of Aug. 8.
Kaulana Mahina is located on 14.4 acres at 10 Piha Poepoe Way, below Wailuku Heights and makai of Honoapi‘ilani Hwy. This project consists of 324 multifamily rental units, of which almost two-thirds—195 units—is restricted as affordable for low-income to moderate households (defined as 50% area median income [AMI] or less and 80% AMI or less up to 140% AMI).
Guidelines for affordable housing are published annually based on the following factors: AMI as established by the Hawai‘i Housing Finance and Development Corporation, that uses established US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) income limits.
All affordable rental units at Kaulana Mahina will be allocated to applicants by lottery drawing only. Maui residents may pick up applications for the lottery from Oct. 2 – 8 at two drive thru locations: 1) Queen Kaʻahumanu Center, using the drive-thru pickup in the parking lot at the Kane Street entrance of Queen Ka’ahumanu Center; or 2) Kaulana Mahina’s temporary leasing office at 400 Hana Hwy.
There is no limit to the number of applications to be distributed, however only one packet per person; therefore, any form of camping or competition to obtain or submit an application is unacceptable and unnecessary.There is also no advantage to picking up an application earlier rather than later.
Applications for the lottery must be picked up in person from the drive thru location(s). Reasonable accommodations will be accepted for Moloka‘i and Lāna‘i residents off-island, as well as Lahaina residents if they had to relocate off-island due to the fires. These accommodations can be requested by emailing kaulanamahinawfh@greystar.com or calling (808) 867-9800.
All applications will be reviewed. Only complete applications that meet eligibility requirements will be submitted for the lottery drawing. See kaulanamahinaapts.com/p/workforce-housing for eligibility requirements.
“Everything is approved and in place, and we are eager to move residents into these homes,” said Kerry Nicholson, Senior Managing Director, Legacy Partners. “We are proud of this project. While the inventory we have available does not come close to meeting the need for housing on Maui, we are the first workforce rental apartment development on Maui in more than 20 years. We believe this is a step in the right direction. We simply need more of these projects on Maui.”
The lottery drawing will be held on Nov. 20, 2023, at 11 a.m., virtually, with a live viewing link posted on the property website. Results will be posted on kaulanamahinaapts.com within 10 days of the lottery.
In addition to the 195 affordable rental studios, one- and two-bedroom units, Kaulana Mahina offers 129 market-priced studios and one-, two- and three-bedroom units, which will be offered to the general public following national Fair Housing rules and regulations.
Kaulana Mahina features a community/recreation center and many amenities for its residents—gym, pool, yoga room, resident lounge, lawn area for playground, and dog park—included in monthly rent. No onsite tours will be offered until construction is completed. For more information about the project or to book a meeting with a representative from Kaulana Mahina, call (808) 867-9800 or email kaulanamahinawfh@greystar.com.
Following 2.96 Maui County Code, the development is 60% affordable and is a 201H affordable housing project. The developer is BIT Wailuku LLC, Legacy Partners, Pacific Coast Capital Partners and others. The project is a collaboration with the County of Maui, Mayor’s Office and Maui County Council, as well as Hawai‘i Housing Finance and Development Corporation.
Administrators encourage Maui residents to apply and get pre-qualified. Although availability at Kaulana Mahina is limited, HUD-certified housing counseling agencies on Maui are standing by to help residents find the housing they need. For more information, contact these HUD-certified housing counseling agencies, including Hawaiian Community Assets, www.hawaiiancommunity.net; Habitat for Humanity, habitat-maui.org; and Hale Mahaolu, halemahaolu.org.
For questions regarding workforce housing applications and the lottery process, please email kaulanamahinawfh@greystar.com. For more information about Kaulana Mahina—including floorplans of the units and renderings of the common areas, visit kaulanamahinaapts.com.
