Adding housing for residents dominated Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen’s fourth annual address on Thursday evening, which he kicked off by going over the various housing projects and related efforts taking place in Maui Nui.
Bissen said the county will spend $1.29 billion through 2030 on infrastructure related to expanding housing capacity. That includes improvements to roads, wastewater and drainage. Another $250 million will go directly to affordable and workforce housing.
“My top priority has always been keeping local families home and helping them thrive in their community. It has guided me and my administration from day one,” Bissen said.
The recovery efforts immediately following the 2023 Maui fires took priority, the mayor noted, but said that it hasn’t stopped his administration from tackling housing for the county as a whole.
“I wish to express my deep appreciation to our community across Maui Nui for their patience and understanding as we focused on supporting Lahaina survivors and stabilizing recovery,” Bissen said. “Even as we navigate the largest recovery effort Hawaiʻi has ever faced, we have continued to advance housing and infrastructure projects countywide.”
Some projects fell under both fire recovery and housing. Bissen said 289 affordable multi-family rental units have been built in West Maui, and 10 projects are ongoing.
More than 200 affordable units have been built in South Maui, with more than 500 planned through the end of the decade. Projects are ongoing in Central Maui as well.
Bissen has touted the county’s overall increase in housing, saying that the county had averaged building 100 homes a year for a decade.
But in his speech, he said, “ Since 2023, we have averaged building 293 affordable homes per year — a 190% increase in affordable housing delivery. But we are not stopping there. Under our current plan, Maui County is on track to expand on that progress, expecting to produce an average of 414 affordable homes per year over the next five years.”
Bissen and his administration have scored big wins recently in housing, namely through the passage of Bill 9. That law started the process of reverting thousands of vacation rentals in the county back to long-term housing for residents.
Recovery from the 2023 fires continues to be one of Bissen’s priorities. He said that initially, the need was to keep Maui residents home or bring back those who were displaced.
But now, “ the county is shifting additional capacity and resources toward commercial property permitting and the adoption of design guidelines to support rebuilding.”
He said fire-impacted 300 sites are under construction, while 150 sites are fully constructed and can be occupied.
Bissen also noted that the Lahaina Small Boat Harbor has reopened, and that the county has received $100 million to extend the Lahaina Bypass for traffic relief.
Bissen has announced he will run for a second term.
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