Housing | Rents

How many renters are there now compared to before the wildfires?

About 45% of respondents were renting before the fires, but the proportion has jumped to almost 60% now. Most of the increase comes from households who previously owned homes. About 30% of all pre-fire homeowners are now renting. However, a notable minority of new renters were previously living with family or friends or unhoused, suggesting that access to disaster assistance may have improved housing stability for some households. Depending on the survey month, the proportion of fire-affected households living with family/friends or being unhoused has been between about 25% and 75% higher than before the wildfires.

How have the out-of-pocket rental costs of fire impacted people changed compared to before the wildfires?

It is encouraging that out-of-pocket rents for studios and one-bedroom apartments have fallen below pre-fire levels since the end of last year. Survey respondents now typically pay $1,000 out-of-pocket for a studio or one-bedroom rental compared to $1,200 before the wildfires. This includes rental assistance that pays for all or almost all of the rent (maximum of $100 out-pocket payment) for 38% of respondents. Before the fires, less than 2% of 0-1 bedroom tenants had fully subsidized housing. Moreover, out-of-pocket rents for larger properties are still above pre-fire levels. Especially for three or more bedroom properties rents remain almost 30% higher at typically $2,000. Note that the reported numbers are median (typical) changes in rents overall for the same types of units, not comparisons of the same units before and after the fires.

Despite widespread rental assistance, affordability remain a concern. In the last few months, between 10% and 15% of people whose income has remained roughly the same as before the fires now pay higher rents, and about 15 to 20% of respondents who now have lower incomes have experienced rent increases. These numbers have remained relatively stable since August 2024.

More than 20% of fire-affected households have faced rising rental costs despite moving to smaller units. About 20% of those who maintained the same number of bedrooms are also paying more in rent. Further analysis of reported unit size shows a drop in the number of households renting 3-bedroom or 4+-bedroom units compared to before the fires, and a corresponding small increase in rentals of 1-bedroom or studio units. Moreover, rent increases remain substantial. Despite rental assistance, out-of-pocket rents remain more than 20% higher for the same or fewer bedrooms compared to before the fires. On the other hand, more than three-quarters of renters who now have more bedrooms pay less rent than before the fires, largely because of rental assistance.

Excluding fully subsidized rentals, how have the out-of-pocket rental costs of fire impacted people changed compared to before the wildfires?

When we exclude all rentals that are fully or almost fully covered by rental assistance, rents remain markedly higher than before the wildfires for all unit sizes, although since the end of last year a downward trend seems to be emerging. This is important to monitor in order to track rent costs that more and more people may face as rental assistance programs continue to wind down in the coming months and years. Note that the data in this chart still includes units where some (but not all) of the rent is subsidized. For studios and 1-bedroom units, rents are still more than 50% higher than before the wildfires (from typically around $1,300 before the fires to around $1,800 after the fires). Two-bedroom units remain around 25% more expensive (from about $1,600 before the fires to about $2,000, but down from a peak of about $2,600 in August 2024). Post-fire rent increases are most pronounced for larger units. Rents for 3 or more-bedroom units are more than twice as high as before the wildfires (from typically about $1600 to about $2500, also down from almost $3,500). Larger increases for bigger units may be driven by higher competition for units that can accommodate displaced multigenerational households. Prices may be pushed up because fewer large units are available for rent. That means larger families are most affected by rising rents due to housing shortages. Note that the reported numbers are median (typical) changes in rents overall for the same types of units, not comparisons of the same units before and after the fires.

For most people who don’t receive full rental assistance, spiking rents are not met by rising incomes. When looking at rents that exclude fully subsidized units, about half of people whose income has remained roughly the same as before the fires are now paying higher rents. Similarly, about half of the people who now have lower incomes have experienced rent increases. This means that many households have to make cuts in other areas. When fully subsidized units are included in the analysis, only 15% of people are affected by increasing rental costs despite unchanged or decreased incomes. That suggests that ongoing rental assistance programs currently limit further surges in the rental burden of many fire-affected households. But the looming end of rental assistance in the future risks further exacerbating the housing affordability crisis on Maui.

Excluding fully subsidized units, more than 60% of respondents continue to face higher rental costs than before the wildfires for comparably sized units. While it is unsurprising that the majority of participants who now have more bedrooms are facing increased rental costs, even respondents who downsized to fewer bedrooms reported widespread rent increases that continue to affect more than 50% of this group. Out-of-pocket rents for units that are not fully subsidized remain more than 50% higher for the same or fewer bedrooms compared to before the fires.