Catholic Charities Hawai’i earlier this week welcomed the first tenants of its new Kahului Lani senior affordable housing complex on Maui. The first phase of the 165-unit senior affordable rental complex is located along Kane Street across from the Kahului Foodland.

There are 81 units in the completed first phase. Another 83 units will be built in a second phase on the same property directly across the street from Foodland at the Queen Kaʻahumanu Center in Kahului. County officials say residents are expected to move in soon.

The County of Maui reminds residents that rental assistance may be available to those who have lost their job or have reduced income by more than 25% as a direct result of COVID-19.

The project is proposed on 6.943 acres located at South Kīhei Road and Kilohana Drive. The change is zoning request is from Open Zone to an R-1 Residential District.

Maui's Lahaina/Kahului/Wailuku area (which was lumped into one district), was identified as the third most unaffordable small metro area for renters in the US (behind Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA at #1; and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA at #2).  

The Kulakane is an oceanfront resort with 42 units, located at 3741 Lower Honoapiʻilani Road on the border of the Honokōwai and Mahinahina neighborhoods, close the Honokōwai Farmer’s Market and shopping, just north of Kāʻanapali, about five miles north of Lahaina town.

This week two families received keys to their new home as part of Habitat for Humanity Maui’s affordable housing project in Lahaina. Both homes were completed in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in a decrease of volunteers for the project.