Testimonies received from BFED Committee.

TESTIMONY FROM Daniel J. Southmayd, Medical Case Manager, Maui AIDS Foundation
RE: Testimony in Support of Maui AIDS Foundation’s grants from the COUNTY OF MAUI Mayor Richard T. Bissen Jr.’s Budget Proposal for Fiscal Year 2025

Aloha Council Members Lee, Rawlins-Fernandez, Sinenci, Sugimura, Kama, Johnson, Paltin, Cook, and U’u-Hodgins,
Maui AIDS Foundation (MAF) is a nonprofit health and social service organization serving the residents of Maui County for over 37 years. The basic goals of the Maui AIDS Foundation’s Treatment Core Services programs are to minimize/eliminate HIV/HCV/STIs through testing, education, and to extend a linkage to medical care. MAF also provides Harm Reduction services including Narcan training/distribution and Syringe Exchange services and access to our food pantry.
Free clinics unburden public resources at a rate of $34 per $1 invested. We are asking this Council to invest wisely in our organization, which will prevent long-term increases in health care treatment, opioid overdose, and food insecurity for houseless residents.
MAF assists those incarcerated, those living with Hepatitis and other STIs, people living with HIV, those suffering with substance use issues, LGBTQIA+ and Mahu populations, women and youth at-risk, Native Hawaiian communities, and those with mental illness disorders by offering a wide-range of linkage to care that promotes wellness and enhances quality of life.
MAF is requesting expanded grant funding to assist the agency with the following objectives:
• Expansion of MAF’s free clinic services to offset the increases in Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI); especially since the Maui Wildfires in August of 2023.
• Expansion of MAF’s prevention and harm reduction education to set a path toward elimination of HIV, Hepatitis, and other Sexually Transmitted Infections and in effort to reduce stigma.
• Increase efforts in harm reduction by the training and distribution of Narcan to assist Maui County residents with the ability to administer life-saving opioid overdose treatment
• Expand capacity to enable staff to begin some vaccination services by hiring an RN or LPN to support our one Provider, Dr. Bryan Chin.
MAF has always actively pursued a combination of funding mechanisms. This expanded County funding would provide MAF resources to provide the services that Maui County desperately needs at this time.
Mahalo for consideration of increasing the funding for our County Grant Proposals. The goal is to eliminate STIs and Opioid overdose. We can affect this outcome with your help.
Daniel J. Southmayd, Medical Case Manager
Maui AIDS Foundation 1935 Main Street, #101, Wailuku, Hawaii 96793
daniel@mauiaids.org 808.633.1705

From: Teisha Nishimitsu <teisha.nish@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2024 7:48 AM
To: BFED Committee <BFED.Committee@mauicounty.us>
Subject: Testimony – STRONG SUPPORT for funding Upcountry Winter Fest 2025

“Aloha Maui County Councilmembers,

My name is Teisha Nishimitsu and I am an Alumnus of King Kekaulike High School, and currently a sophomore attending Stanford University.

I am testifying in strong support of the Kekaulike High School Foundation’s Upcountry Winter Festival 2025.

The inaugural Upcountry Winter Fest took place in November 2023. The festival included a craft fair, holiday display, food trucks and booths, non-profit information booths, keiki games, and entertainment – not to mention that Santa and Mrs. Claus graced us with their presence!
Here are a few stats from 2023:
55 - Small businesses/vendors participated
9 - Kekaulike complex clubs and organizations participated from 4 of the 7 schools within the complex
60 - Volunteers came from the Upcountry community to make this festival successful
9 - Non-profit organizations provided information to festival goers on their mission and impact on the community
1,096 - Attendees were counted!!!
For the 9 Kekaulike complex clubs and organizations that participated at the food booths and keiki games, they were able to generate almost $7,000 in sales. These clubs and organizations range from Kaiapuni Class of 2024 to Pukalani Elementary School Robotics to Na Ali’i Boys Soccer. Of the other 55 vendors and small businesses this festival supported, based on our after-festival survey, the vendors were very pleased and are looking forward to coming back this year.

The Kekaulike High School Foundation aims to support the ENTIRE Kekaulike complex, through scholarships for students and grants for teachers. In 2022, their initial year of supporting the community, they have facilitated providing $8,500 in scholarships to seniors pursuing higher education and $1,000 in grants to Upcountry public school teachers. This increased in 2023 to $9,700 in scholarships, with $500 of that total coming directly from funds the Kekaulike High School Foundation was able to raise, and $250 in grants to Upcountry public school teachers.

Because of the success of the 2023 Upcountry Winter Festival, the Kekaulike High School Foundation was able to allocate $1,000 in scholarships and $1,500 in grants to Upcountry public school teachers for this year. This event also serves as the Kekaulike High School Foundation’s main fundraiser for the year.

Mahalo for the opportunity to testify in strong support of the Kekaulike High School Foundation and Upcountry Winter Festival 2025.

Teisha Nishimitsu
teisha.nish@gmail.com
808 - 757 - 6529

From: Adminb <kristopher.robert.martin@outlook.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2024 10:22 PM
To: BFED Committee <BFED.Committee@mauicounty.us>
Subject: Testimony in support of Maui Economic Development Board’s Economic Development Grant

To the esteemed members of the Maui Economic Development Board,

My name is Dr. Kristopher Martin, and I am writing to express my heartfelt support for the Maui Economic Development Board's grant. As a parent of two children, Lilith and Johnathan Martin, who have both been fortunate enough to participate in the STEM program at Lokelani Intermediate School, I have personally witnessed the profound impact these programs have had on my children's lives.

Lilith and Johnathan have been actively involved in the STEM after-school classes, which have provided them with invaluable skills and experiences that will undoubtedly benefit them in their future education and careers. The exposure to hands-on learning and problem-solving has not only inspired them to pursue further STEM education but has also instilled a passion for engineering and innovation.

The Maui Economic Development Board's dedication to fostering STEM education in our community has been instrumental in shaping the minds of our youth and preparing them for the challenges of the 21st century. The STEMworks program has not only enriched my children's lives but has also positively influenced the entire community by nurturing the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and innovators.

I firmly believe that the Maui Economic Development Board's grant is essential in maintaining and expanding these vital programs. Your continued support ensures that students like Lilith and Johnathan have access to the resources and opportunities that will enable them to reach their full potential.

Once again, I wholeheartedly support the Maui Economic Development Board's grant and hope that you will continue to invest in the future of our community through these exceptional STEM programs.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Dr. Kristopher Robert Martin

From: Adminb <kristopher.robert.martin@outlook.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2024 10:13 PM
To: BFED Committee <BFED.Committee@mauicounty.us>
Subject: STEM Program

Hello, my name is Dr. Kristopher Martin, and I am writing in full support of the Maui Economic Development Board’s grant application for the STEM program at Lokelani Intermediate School.
As a parent of two children, Lilith and Johnathan Martin, who have both been active participants in the STEM classes provided by the program, I can personally attest to the tremendous impact it has had on their education and future aspirations. The opportunities they've had to engage with STEM concepts and activities have not only inspired them but have also ignited a passion for pursuing careers in engineering.
The STEM after-school classes offered by the program have been invaluable in nurturing their interests and fostering the development of essential skills that will undoubtedly benefit them in college and their future careers. Witnessing their enthusiasm and growth firsthand has filled our family with immense gratitude towards the Maui Economic Development Board and their dedication to advancing STEM education in our community.
We wholeheartedly hope that the board will consider expanding support for the STEM program at Lokelani Intermediate School. Your continued support is crucial in ensuring that more students like Lilith and Johnathan have access to these enriching opportunities that will shape their futures and contribute to the growth of our community.
Thank you for your unwavering dedication to STEMworks and for your commitment to empowering the next generation of innovators and leaders in Maui.

Dr. Kristopher Martin
808-740-8035

I will be 85 years old this year, and I have been serving the folks of Maui County as a clinical psychologist for 25 years. Several years ago my wife Rosa and I realized that eventually our health would fail and we looked for a long term plan to retire. We decided to invest our savings into building an Ohana cottage and went through the year long process of going through the county council to be legal as a B&B. We don't make a huge profit, but it keeps us both occupied and helps supplement my income- we were hoping to retire frugally on this when I can't work anymore.

So we were devastated to hear about the proposed increase in property taxes for those of us who have legal B&B licenses. Most of us are in the same situation, trying to find ways to survive in a pricey Maui economy.

We believe that dramatically increasing the tax rates on B&Bs would not help the tax situation very much because there are few of us. We are hopeful that the county council will finalize a fair tax rate increase for us, perhaps in the range of $3.5 per thousand.

Thank you for considering our petition.

Sincerely,
Karl Jacobs, Psy.D. and Rosa Paz-Jacobs

I urge the County Council to support funding for these critical projects;
Kaiāulu o Kupuohi: Rebuilding an apartment complex lost in the fire, offering 89 rental units.
Pulelehua Phase 1: Ready to build 240 pet-friendly units (60 for sale, 180 for rent) near the new temporary school on Akahele St., below the Kapalua airport.
I believe that these projects will have the biggest community impact with resolving concerns from all involved. I also stand firm in prioritizing families and individuals displaced by the Lāhaina fire. As there are 4 critical facts circulating the victims of the Lāhaina Fires - (1) Thousands of West Maui residents still living in hotel rooms 8 months after the fire. (2) Over 25% of displaced West Maui residents forced to leave the island due to lack of housing. (3) 87% of displaced West Maui residents are renters. (4) No funding allocated for long-term housing projects in West Maui since the fire.
Please do what is pono to kokua our communities and local kanaka.
E ola!

Aloha,
My name is Kalani Nakoa and currently one of the board of directors for the Maui Humane Society, holding the position as Co-Vice Chair. I am writing this testimony in hopes that the county will view our role in the community to be extremely vital for the welfare and care our pets. There are several important areas we are in need as we focus on the care of our pets. These areas are Animal Shelter, Humane Enforcement, Spay/Neuter Program, and the recent need to assist Molokai Island with revamping and updating their shelter.

Animal Shelter: We intake approximately 5,000 animals a year, and anticipate this number to increase with the recent August 2023 Lahaina Fires. We are currently contracted by the County to provide services such as shelter, food and medical care, and with the rising numbers, we humbly request your kokua to help assist with additional funding of approximately $200k to meet our proposed budget.

Humane Enforcement: We have been met with an alarming increase to provide animal control and humane enforcement services by our community due to increase in calls, a spike that occurred during the wildfires. Our current increase based on logged miles is approximately 26% in response to service calls for animals in distress or victims of suspected animal cruelty.

Spay/Neuter Program: During the wildfires, we were forced to close our doors to the public for two months so that the veterinary team could focus on providing emergency medical care for the animals injured during the fires. To improve the backlog due to the two month closure, we increased public appointments by 40% and opened up additional weekly appointments exclusively for dogs. We appreciate the increase the Mayor has proposed for the spay/neuter services, as the $165k is urgently needed to meet the needs of our community.

Molokai Island: An in person testimony will be provided at the hearing regarding this area of need.

While there are additional points in each area noted above, I have provided either an overall view or a summary of why it is important for us to seek your kokua. Our community needs us to continue doing the work we do in order to be there when help is needed to care for the health and welfare of their pets and animals. Together with county financial assistance, we can achieve this goal.

Mahalo...Kalani Nakoa
Board Co-Vice Chair, Maui Humane Society

Aloha,
I am actually a Big Island resident, here my whole life, I have friends that live on Maui and was affected. I would personally would like to say that I would personally want all those survivors to be housed and try to go through this traumatic time in their lives. Hawaiians being one of the many cultures and races that has been disrespected, abused and mistreated for all of American history. Why is billions of dollars being sent to Ukraine, Gaza etc for more weaponry. One way to truly prove that America is on the side of indigenous cultures and not just using us as a military base or tourism industry (a different type of gentrification) is to be there in times of need like Lahaina is right now. I thought of one way to keep the residents to start their lives with housing. I have thought of a way for the money of the government to be put into better use. On amazon you can purchase a shipment home with a kitchen, two bedrooms, bathroom that is roughly 20x20 ft plus shipping(again I live in Hawaii so the shipping would be similar) would equal to $15,706 each. With just 1 million dollars you could roughly purchase 63 of these tiny homes. That is 63 families that will have homes on their own land and won't be within hotels or worse forced to leave. Imagine the amount for 10 million, a tiny fraction of money spent in other places. I hope this gets to the right people as this is a major issue that will just be more of the same disrespect as usual or a chance to be a better country. Keep Hawaiian Lands in Hawaiian Hands! I have inserted the link to the amazon housing that I have found down below.

https://www.amazon.com/SAA-Expandable-Bathroom-Kitchen-Container/dp/B0CVRXHLT8/ref=sr_1_1?crid=TVSKU0VNTYTK&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.PUe-xlEdMC-GPN5P8fmF_6CR8uJ8XVxvNDrCZM60_1GqQ5HFWSP65gUdQjCOrZAGa_7oJd8hR05-ZVob_92eS6junPLAE65RUrZzJ09YKEh2zfIIStzsiNY3lsWY1sgyPrNzS5SoCh8fMB3Gg-uD6e2m0fYcpz0hKEKUrwzUx4PijxrH_0hoAW4e8RguHI5RfAadqhfzsVKxgpRioWalskBWyavZX0tJCUJoWaQY4JM.8KQwP6tHEVvCXuq88bNGEZpR-9MpQ7zOzF1UnHhJ0nM&dib_tag=se&keywords=house&qid=1712723297&sprefix=house%2Caps%2C217&sr=8-1

TESTIMONY FROM BRYAN CHIN, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC
RE: Testimony in Support of Maui AIDS Foundation’s grants from the COUNTY OF MAUI Mayor Richard T. Bissen Jr.’s Budget Proposal for Fiscal Year 2025

Aloha Council Members Lee, Rawlins-Fernandez, Sinenci, Sugimura, Kama, Johnson, Paltin, Cook, and U’u-Hodgins,
Thank you for the opportunity to submit written testimony in support of the proposals Maui A.I.D.S. Foundation (MAF) submitted to you recently to fund expanding its free sexual health clinic and Harm Reduction services.
My name is Bryan Chin and I work as a Nurse Practitioner at MAF. I serve as the only healthcare provider on staff, prescribing medications for HIV treatment, HIV prevention, and a range of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). MAF is Maui County’s only free and confidential sexual health clinic, and we also oversee the County’s “Harm Reduction” services that include opioid overdose prevention, Narcan training/distribution, and syringe exchange. MAF assists those incarcerated, those living with Hepatitis and other STIs, people living with HIV, those living with substance use challenges, LGBTQIA+ and Mahu populations, women and youth at-risk, Native Hawaiian communities, and those with mental health challenges by offering a wide-range of linkage to care that promotes wellness and enhances quality of life.
I have seen the cases of syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea increase each year since COVID-19 began and especially since the Maui fires of last year, largely in the non-insured, under-insured and youth populations that frequent our services the most. We partner with Hawaii Department of Health to access supplies, labs, and medications for STIs, but the overall volume of folks needing our services could benefit from other provider on staff to help meet the demand. Additionally, while the requests for our Harm Reduction services on Maui have remarkably increased, so have the requests from Lanaʻi and Molokaʻi.
MAF’s proposals to Maui County for additional funding for the upcoming fiscal year has the intention of helping greatly with these causes. We understand that the funding is tight right now but Free Clinics unburden public resources at a rate of $34 per $1 invested. We are asking this Council to invest wisely in our organization which will prevent long-term increases in health care treatment, opioid overdose, and food insecurity for houseless residents. This expanded County funding would provide MAF resources to provide services that Maui County desperately needs at this time.
Sincerely,
-Bryan Chin, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC
Director of Clinical Services
Maui A.I.D.S. Foundation
Wailuku
808-242-4900

Dear Councilmembers, Aloha Kakou
As you are all aware, thousands of West Maui residents remain in hotel rooms eight months after the fire. Additionally, a quarter of displaced West Maui residents are forced to leave the island due to lack of affordable housing.
To address both crises, Maui County must focus on controlling the out of control rental price increases and fund the shovel-ready, long-term housing projects in West Maui to help displaced residents. Fortunately, there are two critical projects ready to start—they just need the greenlight:

1) Kaiāulu o Kupuohi: Rebuilding an apartment complex lost in the fire, offering 89 rental units.

2) Pulelehua Phase 1: Ready to build 240 pet-friendly units (60 for sale, 180 for rent) near the new temporary school on Akahele St., below the Kapalua airport.

I ask that Maui County place the well-being of displaced West Maui residents as one of their top priorities by approving ready-to-go, long-term housing projects.

Secondly, I ask you to continue to push the state to pass the state bill 2919 and do all you can to return the short term rental apartments and houses in residential areas, to long-term rentals, with the exception I have owner occupied rentals.
I am myself fortunate enough to own three properties on the North Shore of Maui. One I live in and the other two I choose to rent out long-term. Yes I could make some more money converting to short term rental, but to me it is so clearly more important to make rentals available and Affordable to the people who actually live here and work here full-time. But unfortunately at this time there are many but not nearly enough who are doing the same. That's the need for the counties interventions and quickly.
I am sorry, but all the arguments( with the exception of owner occupied short term rentals, which I think most people agree should be allowed and supported)that I hear the short term rental owners and realtors and off island investors give are patently self-serving and often false if you look closely at them. I am all for people making more money, but not at the expense of people who live here being able to find affordable long-term rentals. It is simply a fact of economics, a short term visitor can afford to pay for example $2000 for a place for one week, but that same person let alone our local population could not afford to pay $8000 a month for that same please long-term. So it's simple math. Even a small percentage in short term rentals like the 5% statewide, means also 5% less long-term rentals available, leading to higher rents. And of course in areas like Lahaina and surrounding, we're talking a majority rental homes in short term rental.
.This is one of the big reasons why rents have gone crazy.
I urge you to do everything in your powers to incentivize and control this tremendously harmful out of control System.
Mahalo for your attention,
Paul Carter
Waihe'e, Maui

vital, crucial and critical. We beg of you. Long term affordable housing for the residence of lahaina.

I support affordable housing in west Maui, but we need affordable homes, not just rental apartments. For the apartments go after the Minatoya List and our housing crisis will be fixed a lot sooner and moving forward. Cancel short term rentals on Maui. Letʻs take care of our people.

Aloha, I am a Maui resident, born on Maui and raised most of my life in Lahaina. Like so many of my Lahaina community, I was displaced by the August 8th wildfire and have become more aware of the key role we each have as community members to get involved the best we can to support the advancement of our community. I thank the BFED committee for this convenient platform to share my thoughts, opinions and suggestions as I was not able to be present at the in person FY2025 Evening Budget Meeting offered in Lahaina tonight. I want to also take a moment to express my sincerest gratitude to the Maui council and each member of the Maui County that has taken on a magnified calling in their job responsibilities to serve our Maui community through these unprecedented times and extend my Mahalos to the many residents near and far that have done the same in magnifying their calling/purpose in serving our community.
A few subject matters that I feel are of upmost importance would be first and foremost housing and safety management but I have learned that we need the proper infrastructure to support these important matters and have listed items in the order below as I feel it is needed to support Lahaina recovery efforts, housing needs and the safety of our community.

Focus Reconstruction and/or Maintenance of the following Essential/Critical Infrastructures in Lahaina to support the current recovery efforts and future rebuild and sustainability of the Lahaina Community:
WATER SYSTEMS - FUND ENDEAVOURS TO PRESERVE, PROTECT, RESTORE AND ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF GROUND AND SURFACE WATERS. The fact that was brought to light from the August 8th wildfire is that our Lahaina that was once a lush flourishing aina contrast greatly from what it was before the fire and therefore emphasizes the importance of restoring and revitalizing our natural water sources so that our Lahaina can be more resistant to wildfires in the future. Maintain and/or rebuild Water lines, Roadways, Public Transit systems(alleviate traffic), Power lines, Waste lines and Solid Waste system. I recommend providing funding to the Fire and Police department if not already sufficiently funded by the federal government and/or the State to ensure these departments receive crucial training and equipment to prepare for possible future disasters. North phase of the Lahaina Bypass apparently is a project that falls under the State administration as it was clarified at one of our Lahaina Community Meetings but I wanted to stress the importance of prioritizing the build of the north phase of the Lahaina Bypass and ask that our Maui council and county officials do what they can to encourage this project which in my opinion would greatly assist our community with the ongoing traffic issues(resulting from the closure of the roadways in the burn zone to the Public), traffic that will result from vital interim and future housing developments and equally important to have this phase as an additional emergency escape route. If this phase had already existed, I feel it would have been a lifesaver during the August 8, 2023 wildfire.

Please support efforts to expedite the process of eminent domain to secure the Central Maui Landfill so we can move on to a more proficient process of disposing of our debris.

Assist with Funding Interim Housing if State or FEMA is not covering enough of these projects on the West side to have interim housing available asap until more long-term affordable housing options are built.

PRIORITZE FUNDING AFFORDABLE DIGNIFIED HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS where it is MOST NEEDED, ON THE WEST SIDE OF MAUI simply because of the obvious fact of the significant loss of housing in Lahaina and the urgency to have many of our displaced Lahaina community members relocated back home to Lahaina. Stress the importance of funding the following projects listed below with priority given please to residents who are most in need, the community members displaced by the Lahaina wildfire.

Kaiāulu o Kupuohi: Rebuilding an apartment complex lost in the fire, offering 89 rental units.

Pulelehua Phase 1: Ready to build 240 pet-friendly units (60 for sale, 180 for rent) near the new temporary school on Akahele St., below the Kapalua airport.

Support and Fund the Maui Office of Recovery

We need housing on the west side, families are forced to live on the other side. There is no help for those who do not qualify for the direct leasing program who are forced to live in hotels until there is a possible solution. If is 8 months in and we are no closer to find a solution to house those who need it.

Our keiki need good teachers! Housing for our teachers is essential for the survival of our school system. The turn over of our teachers in the west side has been problematic because the cost of living is so high. Please help our community thrive by providing dignified housing for our workforce that is affordable. Most of our teachers need two jobs just to survive living on the west side. I have been teaching in King Kamehameha III Elementary School for over 15 years. I love our school community and I am dedicated to serving our Lahaina students who have been impacted by the wildfire in various ways. I am grateful for the US army corps who have worked tirelessly to ensure that our Lahaina keiki have a place they can call their school. I am a fire survivor as well and I would like to continue serving this community to ensure our keiki can continue learning and prepare for their future. So please continue to send help and most especially provide affordable, dignified housing.

Aloha,

My name is Jasmine Valdez I was raised in Lahaina along with so many that are here today..

I request that ALL Testimonies heard today and all that you will hear moving forward as lahaina will show up for every meeting should be the deciding factor for ALL decisions made for funding the rebuilding of the land/community. Please continue to include the community with their input to assist and guide how we provide long-term AFFORDABLE housing projects in West Maui to support our displaced residents and affected families as well for the future generations as the rebuild of Lahaina will bring peace at a time that is so uncertain. May choose not to leave because they cannot work, kids are in school in lahaina or not ready to move away.

Please support funding for these critical projects, prioritizing families and individuals displaced by the Lāhaina fire.
• Kaiāulu o Kupuohi: Rebuilding an apartment complex lost in the fire, offering 89 rental units.
• Pulelehua Phase 1: Ready to build 240 pet-friendly units (60 for sale, 180 for rent) near the new temporary school on Akahele St., below the Kapalua airport.

I am a Director of Front office in Kaanapali and half of my staff are directly affected and the risk of moving or losing their job now due housing issues and HAVE to move away is always their concern as many are uncertain on finances for their future as they wait in hotels/condos for an opportunity for a temporary home in Lahaina. Mental health as they struggle daily is our priority to address when housing issues occur. One employee almost lost a child due to having to travel farther to and from work/family out of Lahaina and was in a car accident as they were not used to having to drive the distance every day.

Urgency for Emergency plans for safe exit from our neighborhoods, start the installation of underground electrical lines , repair water access, and sewage as land is being cleared and offer affordable sustainable energy systems for the homes/apartment complexes be the focus for rebuilding with the input of the community voices to be prioritized NOW AND PREFERENCE TO displaced residents and land owners of Lahaina.

What has been damaged, families displaced and for who has been lost and we may continue to lose by ohana moving away or physically lose and suffer mentally for years to come we need accountability and how the county and government reacted to the needs of Lahaina Ohanas needs to change NOW to address affordable housing concerns before FEMA/Red cross assistance is no longer available and insurance funds are gone as many was only covered 1-2 years and uncertainty on what to do then. For the survivors and generations ahead to have to go through countless testimonies, rally's and meetings to keep their voices heard and continue enduring this just to plead for help and to do ask to do what is right so that they may have stability to move forward and keep Lahaina ohana together..

Restore the water, protect the agriculture lands and provide AFFORDABLE and immediate availability of "ready to build" home and planned community options needed and continue to provide financial assistance to the residents of Lahaina as we wait to rebuild Lahaina and return ALL residents back to their homes as they once occupied 8 months ago today.
.
Please speak with transparency and clear communication on the recovery ahead so the residents understand what is happening and how it will allow them to return to their lives and homes that they once had before the fires.

My family generational home and for so many on Lahainaluna road and in Lahaina is waiting for us to return and for all the planning , meetings and decisions please be clear and transparent with what is being done by communicating thoroughly to each family that is being displaced and are waiting to return home.

Support and fund for what is right to get the needs of Lahaina met. Putting Lahaina people first.
Get our families out of hotels/condos and provide safe affordable homes to transition to as we wait to get back to our land to rebuild.

Thank you for your time… mahalo

Jasmine Valdez

Please help the people! Housing is needed so badly as we know. And for the future, affordable needs to actually be affordable for the local people that are in service to our visitors!

WE NEED HOUSING !!!!

I need a home!!!! I’m a teacher here for 11 years and I’m still in a hotel. Please support those who support your community. You wanted us to open up school so that children could have a place to go but you haven’t provided us with long-term housing. Why you didn’t have firefighters police officers and teachers first I will have no idea. Who do you think hold this community together?