The Maui Chamber of Commerce announced the launch of an initiative, the “Maui Housing Future Survey: Assessing Resident Needs,” a community-wide effort to gather essential, real-time data to “directly combat Maui’s deepening housing crisis.”

For decades, the Maui Chamber of Commerce—comprised of long-time kamaʻāina, caring employers, construction industry professionals, and dedicated community advocates—has been working with County and State government to find solutions to the chronic housing shortage. This long-standing commitment includes hosting major housing summits in 2017 and 2019 to inform lawmakers of solutions for affordable and attainable housing. Despite our efforts and the efforts of many others, the number of new units built has simply not kept pace with the community’s critical needs, resulting in many residents and local families leaving the island because they can no longer afford to live here.

“The time for broad assumptions is over. We are in a housing crisis that requires precise, data-driven action,” said Pamela Tumpap, President of the Maui Chamber of Commerce. “This survey is designed to get anonymous, detailed information needed from those seeking homes to inform policy makers and home builders of the needs of our community now and in the future. We are asking every Maui resident seeking housing, whether it is to purchase or rent, to take 10 minutes and have your voice heard. Your personal needs are the exact data points that will guide our collective future.”

Why This Survey is Critical for Maui’s Future

The Maui Housing Future Survey is specifically designed to provide policymakers, planners, and home builders with anonymous, detailed, and real-time data to ensure that upcoming housing projects align with resident needs. The goal is to move beyond simply building “more” housing and to focus on building the right type of housing, in the right locations, and at the right price points for the people who call Maui home.

Key data points being collected include:

• Household Status: Understanding who is answering (Kamaʻāina, returning, or recent resident) and current living situations (owning, market-rate rent, living with family, or lacking stable housing).
• Specific Needs: Identifying the exact size and type of housing needed—from bedrooms and bathrooms to necessary features like in-unit laundry, storage, and accessibility requirements.
• Affordability & Location: Capturing the maximum monthly payment a household can afford for rent or a mortgage, combined with their total gross annual income, to accurately match residents with affordable housing income tiers (AMI levels) and identify preferred regions to live near work or school.

Anonymous Data for a Forward-Thinking Plan

The Maui Chamber of Commerce stresses that all individual answers will be kept confidential and used solely for statistical analysis. This anonymity is essential to ensure residents can share their true financial and living situations without reservation.

For those who do wish to be directly informed of upcoming housing units that match their specific needs and financial capacity, an optional opt-in section at the end of the survey is provided. Choosing this option will allow the Chamber to share the individual’s information with the County, State, and reputable home builders for direct contact about potential housing opportunities.

The survey should take approximately 10 minutes to complete.

Community partners, including employers, nonprofits, religious institutions, and community organizations are encouraged to share the survey link to help garner widespread participation.

Mahalo for participating. Your voice is critical in addressing Maui’s housing crisis and ensuring better planning for future generations.

To access the survey, please visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MauiHousingSurvey