What's Being Discussed

The Statewide Independent Living Council of Hawaii (SILC) is meeting to review and respond to a proposed Maui County law that would require a portion of workforce housing units to be reserved for people with disabilities. Workforce housing is housing designed to be affordable for working residents who earn too much to qualify for low-income housing but still struggle with market-rate costs.

The council will discuss several specific questions about the draft bill, including:

• Whether the proposed 15% set-aside for people with disabilities is the right percentage
• Whether the requirement should apply only to housing projects that receive government funding
• How the reserved units would relate to federal accessibility standards and whether they must be physically accessible
• How "disabled person" would be defined and how applicants would verify their eligibility
• How available units would be offered and how vacant rental units in the set-aside would be filled

Decisions Expected

• SILC may agree on official recommendations to share with the Maui County Council
• The council may vote to authorize its Chair to submit written comments to Maui County by October 13, 2026

Who Should Pay Attention

• People with disabilities who live or work in Maui County and are looking for housing
• Maui residents interested in workforce housing policy
• Housing developers who build workforce housing in Maui County
• Advocates and organizations that support disability rights and independent living

The public may attend in person in Honolulu, join via Zoom, or submit written comments by email to info@hawaiisilc.org.