Grand opening of Kaulana Mahina in Wailuku. PC: Kaulana Mahina The grand opening of Kaulana Mahina Apartments—a workforce housing development in Wailuku—took place on Thursday, April 18. This event comes at a time when the chronically undersupplied housing market on Maui has been further impacted by the devastating fires of last August. Legacy Partners, in partnership with the AFL-CIO Building Investment Trust, joins its associates in celebration of this central Maui project. The governor, mayor, local officials and project developers spoke at the event, sending a message that by working toget ..read more

PC: Realtors Association of Maui Maui’s median home price rose to $1,303,692 in March of 2024, up 9.5% from 2023 when the median was $1,191,000. The data was included in the latest data released by the REALTORS® Association of Maui (RAM). The housing market experienced notable increases in single-family home sales with 75 homes sold last month, up 1.4% from the same time in 2023. Condominium sales experienced a decline of 23.77% in comparison, alongside a substantial rise in median price to $1,300,000, marking a 62.9% increase, according to RAM. The analysis was conducted by the Association us ..read more

State closes on purchase of former Haggai site to provide for Maui housing. Photo of exterior, courtesy.An aerial view of the Haggai Institute in Kīhei from its rear parking area and entrance. The Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corp. announced Thursday that it closed on the purchase of the 6.2-acre, former Maui Sun Hotel. Screen grab from online HHFDC staff report The Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corp. has closed on the purchase of the former Maui Sun Hotel in Kīhei from Haggai International Institute for Advanced Leadership Training, the state agency announced Th ..read more

Catholic Charities Housing Development Corp. is developing the 178-unit Hale Pilina project on 4.8 acres off of Pu‘unēnē Avenue (at left) and next to the Kahului Post Office. On Friday, Maui County Council members gave final approval for $10 million from the county’s Affordable Housing Fund to help finance the project. PC: Brian Perry Maui County Council members gave final approval Friday to amend the county’s fiscal 2024 budget and provide financing from the Affordable Housing Fund for two housing projects in Central Maui. Ten million dollars from the fund will go toward the 178-unit Hale Pil ..read more

An aerial view of the pool and Līpoa Street entrance of the Haggai Institute in Kīhei. Maui County Council members gave final approval Friday to a state-county agreement for acquisition of the property for long-term workforce housing. Screen grab from online Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corp. staff report. Maui County Council members gave final approval Friday morning to an intergovernmental agreement for the state to purchase the 6.2-acre Haggai Institute for affordable long-term rental housing. Council members heard three testifiers who had concerns about traffic and sufficiency o ..read more

The Hoʻonani Village project is planned for 165 acres between the old Puʻunēnē sugar mill (at far left) and the Puʻunēnē Shopping Center (at right). Maui County Council members received a presentation on conceptual project plans on Wednesday. PC: Brian Perry Members of the Maui County Council’s Housing and Land Use Committee received a presentation Wednesday on conceptual plans for the 1,600-unit Hoʻonani Village multifamily rental and commercial complex in Puʻunēnē. The project would be 50% affordable and have studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units, said developer Howard Kihune Jr., presi ..read more

Maui’s housing market experienced significant increases in single-family home sales and median price in February according to resales figures released today by the Realtors Association of Maui. The median price for a single-family home on Maui in February 2024 was $1,250,760, up 15.9% from the same time last year. The greatest number of home sales was in Wailuku in February, where 12 homes sold for a median price of $1,292,000, followed by Makawao/Olinda/Hāliʻimaile where 10 homes sold for a median of $994,000. Despite a decline in median sales price, condo sales remained steady when compared ..read more

The Office of Recovery will discuss the County’s interim housing plan at the Disaster Recovery Community Update Meeting in Lahaina. File: Wendy Osher The community is encouraged to attend the County of Maui’s Weekly Disaster Recovery Community Update Meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 6 at the Lahaina Civic Center to hear about the County’s interim housing plan. The meeting will include a presentation by the Office of Recovery, with a portion of the meeting reserved for Q&A from the audience. The meeting will be livestreamed on the County of Maui’s Facebook page. It will also be broadca ..read more

A July 2022 groundbreaking celebrates the beginning of construction of the Kaiāulu o Kūku′ia affordable rental complex in Lahaina. The project survived the Aug. 8 wildfire. A report by AARP Hawaiʻi/Smart Growth America raises concerns about the future potential loss of housing affordability in Hawaiʻi when affordable rental and ownership covenants expire through 2045. Screen grab Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corp. website An AARP Hawaiʻi/Smart Growth America report about the potential danger of losing affordable housing in Hawaiʻi has triggered a defensive response from the Haw ..read more

PC: Wendy Osher According to vacation rental performance data, Maui County’s vacation rental supply experienced gains this January compared to January 2023, despite a recorded decrease in supply from last month. Vacation rental performance data was collected amid last month’s announcement of the Maui Interim Housing Plan, which included a commitment to convert vacation rentals into long-term rentals, in response to the displaced households from last year’s wildfires. The Maui County data was compiled by Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism’s monthly Vacation Rental Perfor ..read more