By Benjamin Finnerty (S), REALTOR® (RS-83812) with Keller Williams Realty Maui · Kīhei, Maui · 808-481-9748

Quick Answer: Several large new housing developments on Maui cleared key zoning or planning steps in the past two months. The Maui County Council gave final approval to plan amendments for Hoʻonani Village, a proposed community of about 1,608 multifamily units near Kahului. The Maui Planning Commission voted 5-3 on September 8 to recommend rezoning for EC Pāʻia Town (170 homes), and in August it accepted the final environmental impact statement for Mākena Mauka (652 homes). None of these projects will deliver homes soon, as each still faces state and county approvals, but together they show where Maui’s future housing supply is likely to come from.

When people ask whether Maui will ever build more housing, the honest answer is: slowly, and through a long approval process. This fall, though, brought real movement. Here’s where the biggest proposals stand and what they mean if you’re buying or selling today.

Which new housing developments on Maui advanced this fall?

Hoʻonani Village (Puʻunēnē/Kahului)

• What: About 1,608 multifamily units planned as a workforce housing community, plus light-industrial, commercial, office and open-space uses. Maui Now and The Maui News report that 800 of the units would be affordable.
• Where: About 166 acres of former sugarcane land near Pūlehu and Hansen roads and Maui Veterans Highway, near the old Puʻunēnē mill and Kahului Airport.
• Latest step: As Maui Now reported on October 2, the Council passed Bills 163 and 164 on second and final reading. The bills expand the Maui Island Plan’s urban growth boundary and change the Wailuku-Kahului Community Plan designation for the site from agriculture to business-multifamily.
• What’s next: Plan amendments are one step. Zoning, infrastructure and building permits are separate processes, and county departments have raised infrastructure concerns.

EC Pāʻia Town (Pāʻia)

• What: About 170 homes (120 single-family and 50 multifamily), with 60 income-restricted units, plus a medical clinic, neighborhood commercial space, a public parking lot and a relocated Pāʻia bypass.
• Where: About 40 acres of former sugarcane and mill land west of Baldwin Avenue and mauka of Hāna Highway.
• Latest step: On Tuesday, September 8, 2026, the Maui Planning Commission voted 5-3 to recommend the rezoning with conditions, and unanimously recommended the related community plan amendment.
• What’s next: The state Land Use Commission must approve a district boundary amendment, the County Council must act on the rezoning, and the makai portion needs a special management area permit. Water is the big question: the project proposes private wells drawing on the Pāʻia aquifer, which the state reports is being pumped at about 217% of its sustainable yield. Per news reports, the developer’s side estimates construction is years away.

Mākena Mauka (South Maui)

• What: 652 homes, reduced from 900 in the original proposal: 543 market-rate homes and 109 on-site workforce units, on about 473 residential acres within a 1,044-acre project area. Maui Now reports a roughly $4 billion build-out over 30 years in three phases starting in 2028.
• Where: Mauka of Mākena Alanui, around the existing Mākena golf courses.
• Latest step: On August 11, 2026, the Maui Planning Commission voted 5-1 to accept the final environmental impact statement, with conditions.
• What’s next: Land Use Commission approval for portions of the project, Maui County Council approval and a special management area use permit. According to Maui Now, vacation rentals would not be allowed.

Projects already underway or in review

• Lahaina Residential (1034 Front Street): The 60 homes lost in the 2023 wildfire are being rebuilt in six two-story buildings in the Lahaina Historic District. Construction is expected to begin October 19, 2026, with completion in about 18 months.
• Kehalani Apartments (Wailuku): A 35-unit affordable rental project now under construction, with completion set for January 2028.
• Hale Makua workforce housing (Maui Lani): Hale Makua Health Services has proposed a workforce housing project. Written public comments are due by 4:30 p.m. HST on Friday, October 9, 2026.

What do these projects mean for Maui home prices?

In the near term, not much. Large projects on Maui typically take many years to move from plan amendment to finished homes, and each one above still needs approvals, water and wastewater solutions, and construction financing. Today’s buyers and sellers are still working with existing inventory, which RAM reported at 457 single-family homes and 822 condos countywide in September 2026.

Over the longer term, projects like Hoʻonani Village could add meaningful supply in Central Maui, particularly multifamily and income-restricted units. Mākena Mauka would add higher-end homes in South Maui over decades, not years.

What should buyers and sellers watch?

• Buyers waiting for “new construction”: Most of these homes are years away, and many will be income-restricted with eligibility rules and resale restrictions. If you need to buy in the next year or two, existing homes are your realistic market.
• Buyers near a proposed project: Large developments can bring new roads, parking, clinics and commercial space, plus construction traffic and water-system demands. Review the environmental documents and county planning records for anything near a property you’re considering.
• Sellers: Approved-but-unbuilt projects rarely move nearby resale values right away. Pricing still comes down to current comparable sales.
• Everyone: Water and wastewater capacity are the limiting factors for much of Maui’s growth. Watch the Land Use Commission and County Council calendars.

FAQ

Is Hoʻonani Village fully approved?
The Council passed the community plan and Maui Island Plan amendments on final reading. Other approvals, including zoning and permits, are separate steps.

Will Mākena Mauka homes be vacation rentals?
According to Maui Now’s coverage of the planning commission vote, vacation rentals would not be allowed.

How many affordable homes would EC Pāʻia Town include?
60 of about 170 homes would be income-restricted.

When could any of these homes be available?
Lahaina Residential’s rebuild is expected to take about 18 months once construction starts. The larger new projects are years away and still need approvals.

Questions about a property near one of these projects?

Planning documents can be dense, and they matter when you’re deciding where to buy or when to sell. If you’d like help understanding how a nearby project might affect a home or condo you’re considering, reach out anytime. I’m happy to help you dig in.

Sources: Maui Now (Aug. 26 and 29, Sept. 1, 4 and 10, Oct. 2 and 3, 2026); The Maui News (Sept. 2026); County of Maui; REALTORS® Association of Maui, September 2026 market report.