Maui United Way details Kamaʻāina Credit application process and yearlong pilot to strengthen working households

For working households across Maui County, a steady paycheck does not always mean financial security. Housing, food, child care and transportation can consume nearly every dollar, leaving little room for an unexpected medical bill, a car repair or a reduction in work hours. Maui United Way’s Kamaʻāina Credit for ALICE Households Pilot Program is designed to help eligible households build greater stability while gathering information to better understand the needs of working residents who may fall outside traditional assistance programs.

Funded by the County of Maui and advanced through the leadership of Council Member Gabe Johnson, the pilot is designed to strengthen the stability of working households and support the people who help power Maui County’s economy. Approximately 910 eligible households will receive monthly financial assistance for 12 months: $500 for households of one to three people and $800 for households of four or more. The Kamaʻāina Credit is not a loan and does not need to be repaid. The program combines predictable support with light-touch care coordination and ongoing participant feedback to explore how additional resources may affect financial stability over time.

Applications open Oct. 19 and close Nov. 20, 2026. The application is free and will be available online through muwalicecredit.aidkit.org/o/home. Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to review the program’s household income eligibility brackets, earned-income requirements and full eligibility criteria before applying.

“I know what it feels like to be a part of ALICE because I lived it,” said Jeeyun Lee, CEO of Maui United Way. “For 9 years, I was a single parent, working and raising my son, and one unexpected expense would throw everything off balance and create so much more stress in our lives. This pilot is about giving working households greater stability while listening to their experiences and learning what it truly takes to move from getting by, to building lasting financial resilience.”

Supporting the people who keep Maui County working

ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. These households earn above the federal poverty level but still struggle to cover basic necessities. Many earn too much to qualify for traditional income-based assistance programs, yet not enough to consistently meet the actual cost of living in Hawai’i.

According to Aloha United Way’s ALICE” in Hawaiʻi: 2024 Facts and Figures, 53% of Maui County households were below the ALICE Threshold, including 43% classified as ALICE and 10% living in poverty. These pressures affect the people who teach children, care for kūpuna, serve visitors, maintain roads, staff local businesses and support public services.

The pilot aims to give working households greater financial breathing room to manage everyday expenses and navigate unexpected challenges without sacrificing essential needs. Alongside monthly financial assistance, participants will have access to a dedicated team of 12 full-time Care Coordinators through Maui United Way’s community partnerships with Imua Family Services and Maui Grassroots Collective, which will help deliver individualized support and connections to existing community resources throughout the 12-month program.

Through generally once-monthly check-ins, Care Coordinators will assess household needs, facilitate referrals to local services when appropriate, and assist with the program’s short monthly surveys. This “light-touch” care coordination will be offered remotely or in person, based on each household’s preferences and circumstances, ensuring accessible, consistent support while respecting participants’ individual needs and choices.

“Every day, we see hardworking people across Maui County doing everything they can to support their families and contribute to our local economy yet struggling to stay afloat. My own family is an excellent example. Like many families, we have a multi-generational household, and I live with my daughter, her husband and my two grandchildren. By working and living together, we were finally able to purchase our own home together, but it takes three full-time incomes to afford one home,” said Stacey Moniz, Director, YWCA Maui Women’s Business Center

How to prepare and apply

Applicants must be at least 21 years old, reside permanently and full-time in Maui County —including Maui, Molokai and Lānaʻi—and meet the program’s approved household-income and other eligibility requirements. Households must include at least one person who is employed or has qualifying earned income. Residents should review the official eligibility guidance rather than assume that working or struggling financially automatically qualifies them.

To prepare, applicants should gather a current government-issued ID, documentation of total household income for 2025—including income documentation for all household earners—and proof of their Maui County address. Applicants will also need access to a phone or computer with a camera for identity verification. Additional documentation may be requested during review.

The application will be available in English, Spanish, Ilocano, Tagalog, and Marshallese, with audio support and additional assistance available. Applicants who need help or have questions can email support@muwalicecredit.aidkit.org or call or text 808-309-9756. Maui United Way will also offer in-person application support events across Maui County to help residents navigate the application process. View the full schedule of upcoming support events at https://bit.ly/ALICESupportEvents.

Maui United Way stewards the County grant and approves eligibility and selection criteria. AidKit administers the application, eligibility verification and selection process. After applications close, a computer-generated stratified randomized selection process will maintain representation across approved household and community-need groups. The program is not first-come, first-served, and meeting eligibility requirements does not guarantee selection. Maui United Way does not select the recipients.

Learning from households to inform Maui County’s future

The pilot is also a yearlong study intended to deepen understanding of an underserved population whose needs are not always captured through traditional assistance programs. Monthly surveys will give participating households an opportunity to describe how their needs and financial circumstances change over time.

An additional 400 eligible households will be randomly selected for a comparison group. These households will not receive monthly Kamaʻāina Credit payments, but will be invited to complete short surveys and receive cash gift cards in recognition of their participation.

Feedback from both groups will help Maui United Way assess how additional financial support may affect household stability, identify gaps in existing resources and better understand the pressures that can turn an unexpected expense into a crisis. The findings are intended to inform future programs and policy; the pilot will examine these questions rather than assume a particular outcome.

For program details and application updates, visit muwalicecredit.aidkit.org/o/home. Eligibility and application FAQs are available at muwalicecredit.aidkit.org/o/faqs. For application assistance, please email support@muwalicecredit.aidkit.org or call or text 808-309-9756.