The grand opening of Kaulana Mahina Apartments—a workforce housing development in Wailuku—took place on Thursday, April 18. This event comes at a time when the chronically undersupplied housing market on Maui has been further impacted by the devastating fires of last August.
Legacy Partners, in partnership with the AFL-CIO Building Investment Trust, joins its associates in celebration of this central Maui project. The governor, mayor, local officials and project developers spoke at the event, sending a message that by working together and investing in community, we can help solve Hawaiʻi’s housing crisis and provide fundamental support for local families.
Located at the entrance to Wailuku just off of Honoapiʻilani Highway, the development broke ground with a blessing ceremony in 2022. Construction progressed steadily, and in October 2023, Kaulana Mahina began accepting applications for a lottery for its affordable rental units. More than 3,000 residents applied, indicating the extreme need for housing on Maui.
Residents are now moving in as the community nears completion. When finished, Kaulana Mahina will comprise 324 affordable and market-rate rental apartments on 14.4 acres.
Featuring modern appliances and high-quality finishes, Maui’s newest homes offer a range of amenities including a swimming pool, outdoor BBQ areas, yoga room, fitness center and dog park—all included in the monthly rent.
“We are proud to bring the first affordable workforce project of significant size to Maui in more than 34 years,” said Kerry Nicholson, senior managing director, Legacy Partners. “Maui’s housing crisis will not be solved overnight, but it’s a good feeling to be able to contribute a small piece to the solution. We hope that many will raise their hands to help remove some of the impediments which have resulted in so few housing units being built each year.”
“Kaulana Mahina Apartments will provide crucial, affordable workforce housing for essential workers, such as teachers, first responders, healthcare professionals and service industry employees who are critical in supporting our local economy and everyday community needs,” said Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen. “This project provides much anticipated relief through a daunting housing crisis, and will provide 324 new rentals for local residents.”
“Congratulations to Legacy Partners, AFL-CIO Building Investment Trust and all those on your team who played a role in the development of Kaulana Mahina Apartments as you celebrate the grand opening of this ambitious project,” said Gov. Josh Green.
“Ending the state’s housing crisis has been one of the top priorities for my administration. The lack of housing was especially acute on Maui even before the devastating wildfires that ravaged Lahaina last August, and the horrific tragedy only worsened the situation,” said Gov. Green.
“The 324 workforce housing units that Kaulana Mahina will provide will go a long way toward solving our housing woes, but we still have much to do as we rebuild the island of Maui,” said Dean Minakami, HHFDC executive director. “We need more partnerships between HHFDC and our other state housing-related agencies, Maui County and developers such as Legacy Partners and BIT to do even more.”
The grand opening also celebrates the first major investment of AFL-CIO and its members in Hawai‘i in affordable workforce housing. AFL-CIO members include HGEA and all the Hawai‘i building and construction trades, numbering in the hundreds of thousands of workers.
Speakers at the event included: Kerry Nicholson, senior managing director, Legacy Partners; Maui Mayor Richard Bissen; Dean Minakami, HHFDC, executive director; Gino Soquena, executive director, HBCTC with Bruce U’u; and Matt Jun with Moss Construction.
Following section 2.96 of the Maui County Code, the development is 60% affordable and is a 201H affordable housing project. The developer is BIT Wailuku LLC, comprised of BIT Investment One Hundred, LLC, managing member Legacy Partners, Pacific Coast Capital Partners, Dowling Company, Pier Investments, and Schatz Collaborative LLC. The construction and design team is Moss & Associates, Ethos Architecture, Warren S. Unemori Engineering, Inc., and Group Pacific. The property manager is Greystar. The project is collaboration with the County of Maui, the Mayor’s Office and Maui County Council, as well as Hawai‘i Housing Finance Development Corporation.
For more information, visit https://kaulanamahinaapts.com.
