More than 1,300 homes to be developed for Maui waitlisters
The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) is dedicated to more than just the construction of homes for its beneficiaries on Maui; it strives to lay the groundwork for resilient and sustainable communities.
“When it comes to our housing initiatives we’ve cast a wide net across the entire state but Maui is a priority,” said DHHL Director Kali Watson. “Our ʻohana here have endured more than most can imagine and the August 8 wildfires have only magnified an already existing housing crisis on the Valley Isle. It is our kuleana to provide safe and affordable housing options for those we serve and there’s no greater time than now to build.”
Over 1,300 homes will be developed across six projects islandwide:
- Puʻuhona Homestead, Waikapū
- Villages of Leialiʻi 1B, Lahaina
- Wailuku Single Family Residential, Waikapū
- Waiʻehu Mauka, Wailuku
- Kamalani Homesteads, Kīhei
- Honokōwai Subsistence Agriculture Phase I, Kaʻanapali
Nearly $200 million in Act 279 funds have been committed across the six projects. Act 279, known as the Waitlist Reduction Act, appropriated $600 million in general funds to the department in 2022 to address the needs of beneficiaries on the DHHL waitlist.
More than 3,900 applicants are currently on Maui’s residential waitlist.
Puʻuhona will consist of 137 turnkey and 24 vacant improved lots. This community will span roughly 47 acres. Fifty-two leases were awarded in June with phase one home construction to commence this summer.
The second phase of the Villages of Leialiʻi will include 181 single-family homes and will be located west of the existing Leialiʻi neighborhood in Lahaina.
The Wailuku single-family residential community in Waikapū will consist of 176 single-family homes and 31 vacant owner-builder lots. This project encompasses 77 acres.
A total of 311 single-family homes will be developed across approximately 116 acres as part of the Waiʻehu Mauka project.
Kamalani Homesteads will be built in two phases: 150 single-family homes in phase one and 250 single-family homes in phase two. Phase two is subject to legislature funding. The Kamalani development is about 81 acres and sits at the entrance to Kīhei as a continuation of the existing Kamalani neighborhood.
Phase one of the Honokōwai subsistence agricultural lots will allow for 50 lots. Additional lots may be developed as part of phase two should additional funding become available.
It is DHHL’s commitment to move these six projects forward by issuing homestead leases upfront and starting actual construction in the coming years. To achieve this goal DHHL has implemented a multifaceted strategy: the acquisition of better lands; execution of developer agreements with motivated partners; the creation of housing opportunities through large scale development; leveraging of financing; and turnkey, self-help and rent-with-option-to-purchase homeownership programs.
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