November 2026 – Maui United Way is launching the Kamaʻāina Credit for ALICE Households Pilot Program, a new Maui County-funded initiative providing direct financial support to working households caught between rising costs and the limits of traditional public assistance.
Approximately 910 households will receive monthly financial assistance for 12 months. Selected and verified households of one to three people will receive $500 per month. Households of four or more will receive $800 per month.
Maui United Way is the steward of the County grant but does not determine which applicants are selected to participate. Applications will be administered through AidKit, which will manage the program’s application, eligibility verification, and selection process. After applications close, a computer-generated stratified random selection process will maintain representation across approved household and community-need groups while giving qualified applicants a fair chance of selection. The program is not first-come, first-served, and meeting the eligibility requirements does not guarantee selection.
In addition to direct financial assistance, participating households will have access to light-touch care coordination, helping connect them with existing community resources and services based on their individual needs. The pilot is designed not only to provide greater financial stability to working households that may fall outside traditional benefit programs, but also to deepen understanding of where gaps in support exist. Information and feedback gathered throughout the initiative will help identify which resources are working, where additional support may be needed, and how Maui County and community partners can better respond to the current realities facing working households.
“Strong communities are built when our residents have the opportunity to put down roots, care for their families and contribute to the place they call home,” Mayor Richard Bissen said. “This pilot recognizes that financial security is about more than being employed; it is about giving working families greater opportunity to build a future here. We are grateful to Maui United Way and our community partners for helping us find new ways to strengthen the foundation of our Maui Nui ‘ohana.”
The program focuses on ALICE — Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed — households: people who earn above the federal poverty level, but still struggle to afford basic necessities despite having one or more working members in their household. Many earn too much to qualify for traditional public benefits, but not enough to consistently cover the cost of living.
In Maui County, that gap is particularly wide. According to Aloha United Way’s ALICE in Hawaiʻi: 2024 Facts and Figures, 53% of Maui County households are below the ALICE Threshold, including 43% classified as ALICE and 10% living in poverty. The share of Maui County households classified as ALICE increased nine percentage points between 2022 and 2024. Among Maui County households below the ALICE Threshold, 45% reported that someone in
their household had considered leaving Hawaiʻi within the previous year. Of those considering leaving, 79% cited the cost of living and 68% cited housing costs. United For ALICE also reports that, in 2024, Maui County had Hawaiʻi’s highest basic-needs costs for both a single adult and a
family of four.
“When more than half of Maui County households are struggling to meet the basic cost of living, we have to pay attention. These are working people across our community — supporting our schools, caring for our kūpuna, serving our visitors, managing our stores, working in County departments and nonprofit organizations, and contributing in countless ways to the strength of our County. When the people who keep our communities running can no longer afford to stay, the impact reaches all of us. The Kamaʻāina Credit Program is a direct investment in the people who call Maui County home, and in the future of our community.” — Jeeyun Lee, CEO, Maui United Way
Maui County secured funding for the pilot with leadership from Council member Gabe Johnson. “In a time when the cost of living keeps rising for our hard working families we need to find ways to support them. These funds are important to help people’s lives get better. As a councilmember I am proud to have initiated this program which was supported by my fellow council members and the Mayor. I want to thank Maui United Way who has been an important
partner in reaching out to our ALICE population and all the work they do to support our community, especially after the fires and floods, ” said Maui County Council member Gabe Johnson (Lānaʻi)
An additional 400 eligible households will be randomly selected to participate in a comparison group. While these households will not receive the monthly Kamaʻāina Credit payments, they will be invited to complete short surveys and will receive cash gift cards in recognition of their participation. Their feedback, together with information shared by households receiving the credit, will help Maui United Way better understand the financial realities facing ALICE households, identify gaps in existing resources and services, and assess how additional financial support may affect household stability over time.
“Even working full time, after paying for housing, food, transportation, and other basic necessities, there often isn’t much left when an unexpected expense comes along. Like many Maui families, we can earn too much to qualify for assistance like SNAP, yet still live paycheck to paycheck without a real financial safety net. Working hard doesn’t always mean being financially secure, especially with Maui’s high cost of living. Sometimes families don’t need a
handout—they simply need a little breathing room to get through an unexpected challenge, care for their loved ones, and keep moving forward in the community they call home,” said Theresa Marzan, Lahaina resident, educator at Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena Elementary School and president of Nāpili Canoe Club
Applicants must be at least 21 years old, live full-time in Maui County, including Maui, Molokai and Lānaʻi, and meet the program’s approved household-income and other eligibility requirements.
For questions about the program or help with your application, email support@muwalicecredit.aidkit.org.
