Maui United Way to open applications for $12M county-funded pilot for aid to 910 working households

Maui United Way will begin accepting applications this month for a $12 million, Maui County-funded pilot program that will give monthly payments to about 910 working households on Maui, Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi for 12 months, the nonprofit announced.

The Kamaʻāina Credit for ALICE Households Pilot Program will pay $500 a month to selected households of one to three people and $800 a month to households of four or more, according to Maui United Way. Participants will also have access to “light-touch care coordination,” which connects them with existing community resources.

Maui County awarded $12 million for the pilot, which runs two years including start-up and closeout phases, Maui United Way said in written responses to questions. About $7.4 million will go directly to households as monthly payments.

The remaining $4.6 million will cover program costs, the organization said. That includes $1.2 million for administration and about $3.4 million for operations and services such as personnel, contracted services, technology and software, supplies and travel.

Maui United Way has contracted with AidKit to handle applications, eligibility verification, selection and payments, the organization said. It also has contracted for communications and marketing, data and evaluation, and care coordination.

ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. The term describes households that earn more than the federal poverty level but still struggle to afford basic necessities. Maui United Way said many of these households earn too much to qualify for traditional public benefits, but not enough to cover Hawaiʻi’s cost of living.

According to Aloha United Way’s ALICE in Hawaiʻi: 2024 Facts and Figures, 53% of Maui County households fall below the ALICE Threshold. That includes 43% classified as ALICE and 10% living in poverty. The ALICE share of county households rose 9 percentage points between 2022 and 2024, the report found.

Among Maui County households below the threshold, 45% said someone in the household had considered leaving Hawaiʻi in the previous year, according to the report. Of those considering leaving, 79% cited the cost of living and 68% cited housing costs. United For ALICE also reports that Maui County had the state’s highest basic-needs costs in 2024 for both a single adult and a family of four.

“When the people who keep our communities running can no longer afford to stay, the impact reaches all of us,” Maui United Way Chief Executive Officer Jeeyun Lee said in the announcement.

Who can apply?

Applicants must be at least 21, live full time in Maui County and meet household-income and other eligibility requirements. Maui United Way, which designed the program and stewards the county grant, approves the eligibility and selection criteria, the organization said. The application will be free and available in English, Spanish, Ilocano, Tagalog and Marshallese, with audio support and additional help available.

AidKit, a vendor, will manage the application, eligibility verification and selection process according to those criteria. After applications close, a computer-generated stratified random process will choose participants. Maui United Way said the process is meant to maintain representation across approved household and community-need groups while giving qualified applicants a fair chance of receiving program benefits. The program is not first-come, first-served. Meeting the requirements does not guarantee selection.

Care coordination

The program has 12 full-time care coordinators who work for nonprofit organizations, Maui United Way said. They will contact participating households about once a month, in person or remotely, to identify needs, connect them with available resources and help them complete the program’s short monthly surveys.

Comparison group

Maui United Way also will randomly select an additional 400 eligible households as a comparison group. Although those households will not receive the monthly payments, they will be invited to complete short surveys and will receive cash gift cards for participating.

Maui United Way said the pilot is designed to build an evidence base from both groups by pairing cash assistance with individualized support and measuring outcomes, which could help guide future investments.

Maui County Council Member Gabe Johnson, who holds the Lānaʻi residency seat, provided leadership for the effort to secure county funding for the pilot program, according to the Maui United Way announcement. Johnson said he initiated the program and that his Council colleagues and the mayor supported it.

“In a time when the cost of living keeps rising for our hardworking families, we need to find ways to support them,” Johnson said. “These funds are important to help people’s lives get better.”

“Strong communities are built when our residents have the opportunity to put down roots, care for their families and contribute to the place they call home,” Mayor Richard Bissen said. “This pilot recognizes that financial security is about more than being employed; it is about giving working families greater opportunity to build a future here.”

Theresa Marzan, a Lahaina resident, Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena Elementary School educator and Nāpili Canoe Club president, said in the announcement that many Maui families earn too much to qualify for aid such as SNAP “yet still live paycheck to paycheck without a real financial safety net.”

“Working hard doesn’t always mean being financially secure, especially with Maui’s high cost of living. Sometimes families don’t need a handout—they simply need a little breathing room to get through an unexpected challenge, care for their loved ones, and keep moving forward in the community they call home,” she said.

How to apply

Applications will open in mid-October at muwalicecredit.aidkit.org, where the program also lists eligibility details and frequently asked questions. Applicants who need help can email support@muwalicecredit.aidkit.org.

Maui United Way, founded in 1945, serves Maui, Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi. More information is at MauiUnitedWay.org.