A group of survivors of the wildfire in the Hawaii town of Lahaina has vowed to continue camping on a popular resort beach in an effort to highlight the ongoing housing crisis facing thousands of residents.
The group, known as Lahaina Strong, has urged Maui Mayor Richard Bissen and Gov. Josh Green to help provide “dignified long-term housing” to the survivors of the Lahaina fire, who are still staying in hotels months after the August fire destroyed their town.
Group members want the mayor to use his emergency powers to ensure that 2,500 short-term vacation rental properties they’ve identified in West Maui are converted to long-term properties, making them available for residents who are in desperate need of housing, for a minimum of one year.
The more than 2,000 properties do not have the usual county permits required to be rented out for less than 30 days at a time, according to the group. However, their owners have for years legally rented the units to travelers because the county granted them an exemption from the standard rules.
Permanently eliminating the exemption would require the county council to pass new legislation.
The group has pledged to remain on Kā'anapali Beach, where they have been since early November, for 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until leaders solve the ongoing housing crisis.
‘Dignified Housing’
“The reason why we’re here on Kā’anapali Beach is not just to push for long-term housing, but dignified housing,” Courtney Lazo, one of the Lahaina residents who lost her home in the fire, told Hawaii Public Radio earlier this month.“Our families here that are in the hotels that are getting shuffled around, 48-hour eviction notice if even that. Having to move their families, their kids, there’s no stability. There’s no healing. We can’t even process and grieve what’s going on when you’re constantly worrying, where am I going to be tomorrow? Where am I going to be next week?” she said.
The group has also launched an online petition calling on the mayor and the governor to take action to address the housing crisis. The petition notes residents are “facing a moment that calls for unity, resilience, and compassion.”
It notes that while temporary emergency housing solutions such as large containers and boxable homes have been discussed among leaders, “a more compassionate and viable option” is available.
Roughly 7,000 Lahaina residents are still staying in hotels months after the fire destroyed their town, according to reports.
The mayor said in a statement that he is considering all options regarding the ongoing housing crisis, but stressed that declaring a moratorium on short-term rentals would likely lead to legal challenges and could have unintended consequences.
His office said it is actively working with property managers who handle a significant number of short-term rentals. The mayor has been “encouraged” by their willingness to cooperate, he said.
“Shared sacrifice is necessary at this crucial time as we work to incentivize interim housing,” he said.
