March 20, 2025, 9 a.m.
Kalana O Maui Building
To: Maui County Council
Alice Lee, Chair
Yuki Lei Sugimura, Vice Chair
From: Jonathan Helton, Policy Analyst
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
RE: Bill 48 (2026) — ON FEE WAIVERS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Aloha Chair Lee, Vice Chair Sugimura and other members of the Council,
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports Bill 48 (2026), which would expand various fee waivers for certain affordable housing projects.
Currently, the county code partially or fully waives a litany of fees for affordable housing projects that comprise units affordable to only individuals and families making 140% or less of the area median income. Fees that can be eligible for waivers include grading and grubbing, plumbing, electrical, traffic impact and wastewater fees.
This legislation would add subdivision filing fees and subdivision construction plan review fees to the list. It would also change certain partial fee waivers into total fee waivers.
Approving this bill could help lower the cost of constructing much-needed housing in Maui County. After all, a 2024 update to the Hawaiʻi Housing Planning Study estimated that Maui needs more than 11,000 new units affordable to those making less than 140% of AMI between 2023 and 2027 to keep up with demand.[1]
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
Jonathan Helton
Policy Analyst
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
1050 Bishop St. #508 | Honolulu, HI 96813 | 808-864-1776 | info@grassrootinstitute.org
[1] “Hawaii Housing Planning Study 2024,” prepared by SMS Research and Marketing Services, Inc., FSR Consulting LLC and Ward Research, Inc. for the Hawai’i Housing Finance and Development Corporation, Table 39A, p. 124.
