Aloha, I am a 38 year old Maui native who is married with 3 children. I am a working professional in the hospitality industry who makes the income to support our family and create a decent amount of liquid asset. That said, we have been "on the market" for a single family home for over 3 years. Even before the pandemic we were still building our borrowing and purchasing power to compete on the market. With the pricing set at the rates they exist at today, we are unable to compete with foreign money, mainly cash buyers. Having moved home after receiving higher education, we are constantly brought to a depressed and hopeless state of thinking we can stay on Maui to raise our family in a stable living situation. At the current rates, we would spend 60-70% of our monthly household income just to cover rent or a mortgage. Something NEED TO CHANGE. The criteria used for lenders do not match the market here and I am.in full support of a restructuring of these guidelines. I believe in our local government and the bonds and caps they have been diligently using our tax dollars to setup. Simply giving into developer concerns is not acceptable. Without a thriving workforce, the transient and part-time ownership model will continue to force hard working generatio AL residents from staying here. We need to be able to compete and we need to have protection from outside forces. We need these measures to survive and withstand the opposition of developers. Subsidies can and should help. Please help families like mine to stay here and continue contributing to our community so that we may thrive for more generations.
Almost $700,000 for a two-income family in Maui County is not affordable. I support this bill because $420,000 is a more reachable goal for a family with two incomes. It is imperative that our local residents, Hawaiian families, and workforce have places to live. I appreciate the work the council has done to build capacity for affordable housing. Please lower the affordable home prices. The current prices are absolutely not affordable for Maui County families.
Never have we seen a time of such houselessness, and struggle. The families of Hawai’i have been struggling for years, but now it is different, magnified and amplified a million times it seems. Families cannot find housing, and if it’s available, it has already been priced out, mainly due to so many home sales to mainland buyers who are looking to cover a mortgage by charging record high rates for rentals, or making vacation rentals instead of homes... Hawaiians especially are disconnected from their own homelands and have nowhere to go. Moving to mainland in groves, the children of Hawai’i become someone else’s children. We need our people home. We need to be able to afford basic needs such as housing to thrive and stay home in Hawai’i where we are tied to the land, waters and people. Mahalo for your efforts to keep our families in Hawai’i, and keeping Hawai’i protected from outside interests... no profit over people.
Mahalo for the opportunity to share just a small part of my heart on this pressing issue.
I support AH-14 (6). The Affordable Sales Price Guidelines need to reflect the actual incomes of our households. Otherwise, we will continue to build homes that our people cannot afford. Back in the 1970's and 1980's, the County of Maui determined the rules of development in the interest of the people. We must return to this concept of development by the County of Maui for its people or we will continue to lose our local people to the US Mainland because they will not be able to afford to live here. First and foremost is the interest of the residents of Maui County. I ask that you pass AH-14(6). Mahalo.
I am in support of the proposed bill. Local individuals and families deserve to have the option to own a home and making it more affordable in realistic ways as proposed here is a strategy that will increase the chances that kama'aina remain at home. Cailin Goodier, Makawao
The total of mortgage, taxes, insurance and homeowner’s fees must align with the income guidelines that the majority of mortgage brokers use to qualify their applicants. whether that total should be 31% or 35% is a question this committee must investigate.
The one thing the County of Maui could do to assist in this effort would be to create a five year 100% real property tax exemption for qualified purchasers of affordable homes. Then the County Real property tax would not be added into the total of the buyer’s payment. This would be a better way to fairly subsidize an affordable home buyer without direct subsidy, that would be difficult and costly to administrate.
Aloha, I am a 38 year old Maui native who is married with 3 children. I am a working professional in the hospitality industry who makes the income to support our family and create a decent amount of liquid asset. That said, we have been "on the market" for a single family home for over 3 years. Even before the pandemic we were still building our borrowing and purchasing power to compete on the market. With the pricing set at the rates they exist at today, we are unable to compete with foreign money, mainly cash buyers. Having moved home after receiving higher education, we are constantly brought to a depressed and hopeless state of thinking we can stay on Maui to raise our family in a stable living situation. At the current rates, we would spend 60-70% of our monthly household income just to cover rent or a mortgage. Something NEED TO CHANGE. The criteria used for lenders do not match the market here and I am.in full support of a restructuring of these guidelines. I believe in our local government and the bonds and caps they have been diligently using our tax dollars to setup. Simply giving into developer concerns is not acceptable. Without a thriving workforce, the transient and part-time ownership model will continue to force hard working generatio AL residents from staying here. We need to be able to compete and we need to have protection from outside forces. We need these measures to survive and withstand the opposition of developers. Subsidies can and should help. Please help families like mine to stay here and continue contributing to our community so that we may thrive for more generations.
Almost $700,000 for a two-income family in Maui County is not affordable. I support this bill because $420,000 is a more reachable goal for a family with two incomes. It is imperative that our local residents, Hawaiian families, and workforce have places to live. I appreciate the work the council has done to build capacity for affordable housing. Please lower the affordable home prices. The current prices are absolutely not affordable for Maui County families.
Maui families need REAL affordable housing!
We need affordable housing for our local families.
Aloha mai kakou♥️
Never have we seen a time of such houselessness, and struggle. The families of Hawai’i have been struggling for years, but now it is different, magnified and amplified a million times it seems. Families cannot find housing, and if it’s available, it has already been priced out, mainly due to so many home sales to mainland buyers who are looking to cover a mortgage by charging record high rates for rentals, or making vacation rentals instead of homes... Hawaiians especially are disconnected from their own homelands and have nowhere to go. Moving to mainland in groves, the children of Hawai’i become someone else’s children. We need our people home. We need to be able to afford basic needs such as housing to thrive and stay home in Hawai’i where we are tied to the land, waters and people. Mahalo for your efforts to keep our families in Hawai’i, and keeping Hawai’i protected from outside interests... no profit over people.
Mahalo for the opportunity to share just a small part of my heart on this pressing issue.
Support
We need to do whatever it takes to create affordable housing
I support AH-14 (6). The Affordable Sales Price Guidelines need to reflect the actual incomes of our households. Otherwise, we will continue to build homes that our people cannot afford. Back in the 1970's and 1980's, the County of Maui determined the rules of development in the interest of the people. We must return to this concept of development by the County of Maui for its people or we will continue to lose our local people to the US Mainland because they will not be able to afford to live here. First and foremost is the interest of the residents of Maui County. I ask that you pass AH-14(6). Mahalo.
I am in support of the proposed bill. Local individuals and families deserve to have the option to own a home and making it more affordable in realistic ways as proposed here is a strategy that will increase the chances that kama'aina remain at home. Cailin Goodier, Makawao
The total of mortgage, taxes, insurance and homeowner’s fees must align with the income guidelines that the majority of mortgage brokers use to qualify their applicants. whether that total should be 31% or 35% is a question this committee must investigate.
The one thing the County of Maui could do to assist in this effort would be to create a five year 100% real property tax exemption for qualified purchasers of affordable homes. Then the County Real property tax would not be added into the total of the buyer’s payment. This would be a better way to fairly subsidize an affordable home buyer without direct subsidy, that would be difficult and costly to administrate.