Thousands Of Houses Are Empty On Maui. Would Higher Taxes Change That? 0 An estimated 15,000 housing units — about 1 in 5 throughout all of Maui County — are vacant, according to 2020 census estimates.
With a record influx of out-of-state buyers competing with local residents for the island’s limited housing supply, some Maui County council members are pushing to raise taxes on vacation homes and investment properties.
In 2020, the council hired a housing policy consultant for $300,000 to come up with a plan to spur the construction of 5,000 affordable homes and ease the shortage of housing within residents’ financial reach.
One key recommendation: Raise taxes on short-term rentals and properties valued at $3 million or more that aren’t used as primary residences, as a way to boost funding for affordable housing projects and desperately needed upgrades to roads, sewers and water systems. Some also hope higher taxes would make investment properties less enticing to own.
