LAHAINA, Hawaii (KHON2) — Lahaina will be getting a big boost to development with a new housing project coming soon.
The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education and Maui leaders broke ground on a new $20 million educator workforce development housing project, with construction starting soon on the 47-unit rental complex.
Centrally located near three Lahaina schools, the approximately five-acre site sits above Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena Elementary and below Lahainaluna High.
“This development is pivotal to the retention and recruitment of our west Maui staff. We cannot afford to lose our educators. Their presence, their stability, their relationships with students is what helps our students learn, heal and move forward,” Superintendent Keith Hayashi said. “When teachers have secure housing, students have stable classrooms.”
The 2023 wildfires made an already severe housing crisis in Lahaina worse.
“This project responds directly to that need – the need for housing our school employees,” Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said. “That will bring consistency to our classrooms that allows those who guide, who nourish, who transport and care for our students to remain close to the places they serve.”
In an employee survey, nearly one-third of the Maui employees were displaced due to the wildfires, with 20% of educators surveyed saying they are thinking about leaving the state due to the high cost of housing.
“It’s an honor to work on this project. We’re very anxious to get started. We have a tight timetable and we’ll make that, I’m sure,” Everett Dowling, founder and president of Dowling Co., said. “Home ownership equity is the largest creator of wealth in the country. But in order to buy a home, you have to save some money. Hopefully this project will enable employees of the DOE here on the west side to put some money aside as the community rebuilds.”
Check out more news from around Hawaii
The project will include one and two-bedroom configurations. Rental rates will be income-based.
The teacher workforce housing complex is expected to be complete in December.