#affordable housing Maui

The complex will prioritize families displaced by the August 2023 wildfires, offering stability to a community hit hard by both the disaster and Maui’s ongoing housing crisis.

Nā Hale O Maui raised more than $56,000 at its 9th annual golf tournament fundraiser on April 6 to support affordable housing construction in Kahului.

The tournament will take place on Sunday, April 6, from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Mākena Golf & Beach Club.

Maui Council Chair Alice L. Lee announced that the Maui County Council will hold a public hearing Tuesday at 5 p.m. at the Lahaina Civic Center Social Hall on a proposed ordinance for the Kahoma Village project, where five residential buildings were destroyed in the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires. Lee said the council will also hold special meetings Dec. 13 and 23 in the Council Chamber to discuss bills amending land-use and development standards for the Honua‘ula development—a 670-acre, multiuse housing project in South Maui. To view meeting agendas, visit mauicounty.us/agendas.

The County of Maui Department of Housing is reminding the public that a deadline is approaching on request for proposals seeking affordable housing projects that will be funded by the Affordable Housing Fund in Fiscal Year 2026.

Habitat for Humanity Maui announced it is the recipient of a $3 million donation from Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez. This contribution, one of the largest in the organization’s history, will directly support Habitat Maui’s ongoing efforts to address Maui’s urgent need for affordable housing, especially in light of the recent wildfires and the worsening housing crisis on the island, organization leaders said.

Earlier this summer, UHERO published its analysis of Maui’s legislation to regulate Transient Vacation Rental (TVR) properties, stating, “If the policy is enacted in full, it would increase Maui’s long-term residential housing stock by 13%, representing a dramatic increase in housing supply,” said UHERO’s economists. “Reductions in tourism or property tax revenues would also present serious challenges to Maui County… Understanding the broad impacts of this policy will be key to understanding future economic conditions on Maui.”

The nonprofit Homestead Community Development Corporation (HCDC) added eight housing units on Maui to its housing portfolio over the last six months. The rental units (located in Wailuku, Lahaina and Kīhei) are first dedicated to wildfire impacted families over the next three years; and then to permanently affordable rental units for Maui citizens.

The tournament was not only a showcase of golfing prowess but also a significant fundraiser for Nā Hale O Maui, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing affordable housing solutions for Maui families. With the support of generous participants and sponsors, the event raised over $45,000 to further their mission; to secure and preserve a permanent supply of affordable housing alternatives for low and moderate income households in Maui County.

For the Mathers, homeownership seemed unattainable. The constant threat of displacement from their beloved ‘āina loomed over them. Jen Mather, alongside her husband Richard and their children Kūmoanaākea, 15, and Keolaonākai’elua, 14, expressed profound gratitude: “Nā Hale O Maui has made it possible not only for myself and my keiki to continue living here in Maui Komohana but also for the seven generations to come after us. We commit, along with Nā Hale, to keep this house affordable in perpetuity.”

Lahaina Strong Fishing for Dignified Housing Hui will hold a rally and march in Kā‘anapali today. Organizers say their primary demand is for the conversion of units on the Minatoya list and the reclamation of housing inventory.

After several months of research on Maui housing projects, Stand Up Maui has developed a list of present and proposed affordable housing projects called the Scorecard, set for public release this month.

The proposed bills, inspired by the Savio affordable housing programs, aim to establish a local housing market that is affordable for the average local buyer rather than outside investors.

Homeowners could receive grants of up to $100,000 for construction of accessory dwellings, also known as ʻohana units, under a bill passed on second and final reading Friday by the Maui County Council. Bill 38 advances to Mayor Richard Bissen for final action.

Gov. Green announced a Housing Hawaiʻi’s ʻOhana plan, vowing to sign into law any legislation that will help move short-term rentals and vacant investment properties owned by non-residents into the local housing market. He also is said he would declare a moratorium on all short-term rentals in West Maui if he is unable to find enough housing for displaced families in the next six weeks.

An estimated 200 affordable rentals are under construction in Lahaina as part of the Kaiāulu o Kūku′ia project, which includes Hawaiʻi’s very first Bezos Academy preschool. 

As government leaders are tasked with meeting the critical need for housing in the wake of the August wildfires on Maui, one suggestion has drawn particular interest. For Maui resident, Matt Jachowski, there’s only one answer: utilizing short-term rentals and second homes while seeking federal and philanthropic dollars to fill the rent gap.

A groundbreaking and blessing ceremony was held Thursday morning for Hale O Piʻikea, a new 223-unit affordable rental housing development in Kīhei.

The application will help unlock the production of at least 10,800 new housing units within the next six years. Over time and with additional infrastructure, the proposal aims to unlock up to 30,000 new units.  The grant application is not part of the Emergency Proclamation relating to affordable housing. 

Members of the nonprofit organization, Stand Up Maui, are advocating for the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan for Affordable Housing, commissioned in 2021. The group also wants the County to use or purchase land to help meet the housing needs of residents.