The Kīpūola Kauhale is divided into four clusters, each with a shared kitchen, showers and flex space. Photo courtesy HomeAid Hawai‘i

A project that will provide 64 tiny homes for wildfire survivors and people experiencing homelessness on Maui will be the largest kauhale village in Hawaii outside of Oahu when it opens later this month.

On Monday, Gov. Josh Green announced the upcoming opening of Kīpūola Kauhale, which the governor says marks a major step forward in the state’s efforts to increase affordable housing and expand the small, grouped homes model.

The 64 tiny homes at Kīpūola in Kahului are grouped into four clusters. Each cluster has a shared kitchen, showers and flex space. The housing site also has a community center, laundry facility, offices for community management and service providers, as well as a dedicated dog park.

The governor’s office says the tiny homes will help give people a path to economic mobility, and the name was provided by Maui cultural practitioner Kumu Pueo Pata to symbolize healing, community and renewal.

“The kauhale initiative has proven to be one of Hawaii’s most innovative and effective solutions to homelessness,” Green said in a news release. “Kīpūola kauhale not only provides homes — it provides dignity, stability and opportunity.”

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green sits inside one of the 64 tiny homes at the Kīpūola Kauhale in Kahului. The homes are intended to help wildfire survivors and people experiencing homelessness on Maui. Photo courtesy HomeAid Hawai’i

The governor’s office added that residents at Kīpūola will build their employment skills by participating in workforce development programs with local businesses in fields such as landscaping, security, janitorial work and community operations.

Other support services will include health care, counseling, case management and cultural programming.

“For decades, homeless housing solutions relied on voucher programs leaving many waiting more than a year for help while also competing with non-homeless families for the same units,” explained Jun Yang, the governor’s homelessness coordinator. “Kīpūola introduces a new model and fills a gap in Hawaii’s housing continuum, providing a program that couples deep affordability and support in program-based housing, with nominal fees for participants earning 30% or below the Area Median Income.”

According to the governor’s office, each tiny home cost approximately $20,500 and was designed to withstand Maui’s strong environmental and surrounding conditions.

The overall development cost for the project was $15.3 million, and taxpayers reportedly saved $5.25 million through a public-private partnership between the state and HomeAid Hawaii that used vacant state land, grants, volunteerism and builder discounts.

Public funding supporting infrastructure and site work came in at $10 million, and grants from Ultimate Fighting Championship and Nareit Foundation also helped fund the project.

On Sept. 24, photos of Green posing with CEO and President of the UFC Dana White and other officials in Lahaina were posted on the governor’s Facebook page while thanking UFC for a $1.2 million contribution to HomeAid Hawaiʻi’s Maui Housing Initiative.

“Their generosity is helping us deliver homes and community spaces at Ka La’i Ola and Kīpūola Kauhale, giving wildfire survivors the stability they deserve,” the governor said in the post.

The Kīpūola village is expected to be ready for residents by Oct. 20. A public volunteer day and site tours will be Oct. 18.

For more, go to www.homeaidhawaii.org/workday.

According to Gov. Josh Green’s office, each tiny home at Kīpūola Kauhale cost approximately $20,500. The new village of tiny homes is expected to be ready for residents by Oct. 20. Photo courtesy HomeAid Hawai’i