Affordable Housing is in an emergency crisis situation. It cannot be fixed by taking away STRs. It all goes back to one thing. Lack of water to issue building permits. There’s plenty of land and plenty of money. The problem is water. We have heard it time and time again. Can’t build houses because lack of water. Let’s work on fixing that and the rest will be easy.
The goal should be to figure out how to tap into that massive ocean that surrounds us and develop a way to desalinate on a large scale to supply Maui with abundant water. We should be looking at cutting edge technologies. We should be striving to be the best in the world at desalination. It can’t be that hard. They want solar farms. They want wind farms. Why not evaporation farms? It could be done and it should be done as fast as possible.
Over two hundred people have provided testimony yet no one has gotten to the root problem. Water. Let’s make Maui the number one desalination place on earth. Local kids could have jobs in it. They could be the innovators. They could figure it out using AI computing.
If we had abundant water we could build the homes and by building enough homes we could house the community. Building a solid supply of homes brings the price of housing down. It’s supply and demand economics 101. There could be reasonable limits on future tourism numbers, STR numbers, hotel rooms, rental cars, etc after the fact. Let’s figure out how we can make that big beautiful Pacific Ocean drinkable.
I am a transplant living on Maui and I strongly support Bill 9. Native Hawaiians have been suffering their displacement by not being able to afford to live in their own home for far too long, and this bill is a step in the right direction. People first and profit after.
Aloha honorable chair and committee members. When I was president of the nonprofit Hawai'i Museums Association I participated in government and community efforts to support fire-affected organizations in Lahaina for cultural resource recovery. It was work that was both heartbreaking and heartwarming, showcasing the best of community care, support, and resilience in the face of devastation. Through this work I developed better understandings about community needs and systems that challenged these needs. It is clear to me that short term rentals are a huge obstacle for housing security for local residents, including those displaced by the fires. Please support Bill 9 and efforts to create long-term, sustainable, and affordable housing for communities that need it most. Mahalo nui loa.
Imagine if these properties were already long term rentals before the fires? Imagine how many locals would have viable options? Maui residents have been at the bottom of the housing priority list for too long. It took the decimation of our historic Lahaina Town and the deaths of our ohana for this to even be considered, so shame! Do what is right for the ohana, not the investment portfolio.
I am a 25 year old Kanaka Maoli woman, who is trying to make ends meet while also saving up for a property on the island I was born and raised in. While I understand how much our economy leans on tourism, being in the hospitality industry myself, at what point do we draw the line? Tourists come here to experience our culture, but Hawai’i is not the same without Hawaiians. I’ve had multiple guests come into the restaurant I work at and actually tell me that they’re disappointed because they expected to see more local people on island, specifically Hawaiians.
We are being displaced and part of the problem are how many short term rentals have been allowed. In my neighborhood alone there have been 3 homes on my street that are now short term rentals or airbnb’s when they could be housing local families. Plus the amount of tourists I see stocking up at costco tells me they’re not really supporting local while they’re here. So it’s not fair for us having to be pushed out of our homes just because short term rental property owners are saying they “recommend small businesses” to their guests. That is simply not enough.
I’m not saying we do not need tourism, but there needs to be balance. The tourism industry is sucking our resources dry. We do not need to rely so heavily on tourism as we do now. It is not sustainable for the land as we’ve seen with the fires and water shortages, nor is it sustainable for our people. I urge the council to please consider how helpful this bill will be for not only our generation, but the generations to come. We need to keep our community in tact.
During yesterday’s session, a local pastor presented a thoughtful and community-centered proposal: to develop housing on church-owned land that would serve both long-term residents and visitors. His plan outlined how income from short-term rentals (STRs) could subsidize affordable housing for local families—including providing lump sums to assist with down payments on permanent homes. It was a creative, practical solution grounded in local needs and financial realities.
Unfortunately, the council appeared to dismiss the proposal almost immediately, cautioning the speaker about being associated with STRs. This response was disappointing. Rather than evaluating the plan on its merits, it seemed to be rejected purely because it didn’t align with a broader, more oppositional stance against STRs. That kind of rigid thinking limits our ability to innovate and find collaborative solutions.
There is already deep tension around this issue, much of it fueled by frustration and fear. But we must be careful not to let that turn into blanket resistance or exclusion, especially when locals themselves are proposing ideas that could directly benefit other residents. Unity will not come from division—it will come from listening, flexibility, and a shared goal of supporting Maui’s long-term future.
My family has strong ties to the island. We visit several times a year and intend to retire in Maui within the next decade. Our STR in Kihei consistently sees a 96% occupancy rate, contributing to the local economy through visitor spending, taxes, and local employment. Converting our unit to a long-term rental is not feasible for us, and selling is not currently an option. If this bill passes in its current form, our property may simply sit vacant—benefiting no one.
I urge the council to approach this decision with a wider lens. Please don’t allow ideology or pressure to outweigh opportunity and reason. The people of Maui deserve nuanced, community-first solutions—and that includes those proposed by locals who see value in balancing responsible tourism with housing needs.
As an owner of a local business for 13 to 14 years, here on Maui, it is become very clear that our housing shortage has a big impact on our economy here on Maui. I have seen many teachers leave the island who are teaching our keiki for many years here, leave the island as they not able to afford to buy or rent a home as there’s a shortage of homes here in Maui. The county mayor has a right to provide homes for each individual and each ohana here on Maui and I believe that each family deserves to have a home that’s affordable to live here on Maui also.
As far as the economy, we have lost a lot of business due to the fires as many families have left Maui so our income has come down so that affects business And the effects of revenue towards the state and my county has also lowered. We must protect the Keiki who are going to grow up here and we must protect families and allow them and support them to live and thrive on this beautiful island.
If people continue to leave the island, we will no longer have enough teachers enough grocery store, workers enough hotel, workers, enough engineers, enough mechanics everything that makes the economy and our local businesses. There will be nobody left here except for Rich outsiders, and all the homes will be vacant
Mahalo Tom.C
As a born and raised local who is the child of a single parent lifetime renter she had hoped there would be a possibility for us to be able to purchase land together. That has become extremely unlikely with how the development of Maui is going - Bill 9 is the first step towards a path where locals have an opportunity to steward the land they are from.
It is extremely disparaging to watch the neighborhood you grew up in become gutted from the lovely local neighborhood with local families to short term rentals and out of town residents who are only here for 2 months out of the year. I've sadly watched this happen all across the island and is the reason our island is losing its culture and aloha. We have already surpassed the 50% margin of residents who are not from here and it shows day to day in every interaction I have. We are losing locals by the thousands - I have already been in the position twice where I was a few weeks from being forced to move off island. Look around the world and you will see this issue is becoming common in top tourist destinations and if this bill does not pass I would not be surprised to see strikes like they are doing in there and other major destinations.
The simple logic and moral answer is straightforward on this matter where one side is simply asking for the basic right of a human while another is demanding they maintain and continue to grow their greed. Will these people ever be satisfied? I think not when you hear their testimonies and sheepishly answer they own three, six, or a whole building. These folks are not here to contribute to the community or care for the land and sea; they are here to take and profit.
Maui will be fine without these tourists, Maui will adapt and we can look to a new economic sector of agriculture or a truly environmentally focused tourism.
If you truly love Maui, Hawai'i and the culture here then you'll understand the support for this bill is the only right answer.
Aloha Chair, Vice Chair, and Committee Members,
My name is Sherry Owen-Siekmann ], and I own a short-term rental property in Maui County. I am writing today to express my deep concern and strong opposition to the proposed legislation to phase out more than 7,000 vacation rentals.
I have been coming here since I was 14 years old with my family and later in life added my husband and children. I’ve worked hard to be a responsible and community-oriented owner. I recommend always local restaurants and tour guides in my welcome guide. I employ local service providers — cleaners, maintenance techs, and landscapers — many of whom have become like family over the years. My guests often leave Maui commenting in our check-in book how much they enjoyed their stay and how the island made Their family feel welcome.
Some of my guests have even said they wouldn’t have come at all if they didn’t have a vacation rental option. That matters — not just to me, but to all the small businesses they supported during their stay.
Owning in this complex has not been easy. We’ve faced huge maintenance costs, special assessments, and massive increases in insurance after the fires. These aren’t luxuries — they’re costs that ensure the property remains safe, functional, and appealing. STR income helps cover those costs while supporting local workers, but the last few years that’s about all it supports. I make no money on this property, but do you get to enjoy coming out here and sharing it with my family and friends and visitors?
This legislation feels rushed and one-sided. I urge the Council to work with owners like me to find a fair and balanced path forward — one that protects local jobs, supports the economy, and holds STR owners to high standards, instead of phasing us out completely. I don’t understand why the timeshare short term rentals are not included this ban.
Mahalo for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Sherry Owen- Siekmann
Aloha e nā Lālā o ke Kōmike Hoʻohana ʻĀina a me nā Hale,
I offer this testimony with deep gratitude and kuleana to the land, to our kūpuna, and to the families whose roots run generations deep in Maui’s soil.
I rise today in unwavering support of Bill 9—not because it’s easy, but because it is right. Not because it avoids pain, but because it begins to heal one of the greatest wounds inflicted on this island in our lifetimes: the slow, calculated displacement of local families from their own homeland.
We all watched it happen. Once, apartment-zoned neighborhoods were filled with laughter from keiki running down the hallways after school, aunties barbecuing, kūpuna sweeping lanai steps, and families looking out for one another. Now, those same buildings sit hollow in spirit, turned into transient pods for strangers whose only connection to this island is a reservation number. The vast majority of some apartment buildings in Lahaina, Kihei, and Ma‘alaea have become ghost villages in disguise, lit by unfamiliar lights, secured with coded locks, and emptied of aloha.
How did we get here? Slowly, at first—one unit at a time. Then by loophole, then by silence. We were told we needed tourism. We were told we couldn’t afford to upset it. We were told there was no other way.
And yet—here we are. Lahaina burned. Families scattered. Workers living in cars. Nurses commuting from Hana to Kahului. Kūpuna watching their moʻopuna leave for Vegas because they can’t survive here. Are we still going to pretend nothing’s wrong?
Some say this bill is too drastic. Too fast. Too hard. But let’s talk honestly. How long have we waited? How many hundreds of written and spoken testimonies have we heard, crying for change? How many reports, meetings, studies, protests? If anything, this bill is late. But it’s not too late.
We can still choose a new path.
Maui kūpuna understood that the ʻāina was not a commodity. Land was a relationship. Housing was a shared responsibility. Decisions were made with future generations in mind, not quarterly earnings.
The short-term rental economy, as it exists, is an inversion of those values. It profits from scarcity, not abundance. From distance, not belonging. It treats our island as a backdrop—not a home. And while tourism does bring money, it does not bring back displaced children. It does not bring back burnt homes. It does not bring back security for our community.
Opponents have argued that STR conversions won’t work because the units are too small or too expensive. But I say: give locals the choice first. Let them find the creativity and resilience that their ancestors always had. We’ve made homes from lava tubes, tarps on the beach, tents, plantation barracks, carports, backyards, cars, and even chicken coops—because we had to. Don’t tell us we can’t make do with a studio!
Others raise concerns about economic fallout. But look deeper. The AP reported that the total property tax revenue loss might be $60 million per year. That’s less than 4% of our county’s latest budget. Meanwhile, the social cost of not acting—of continued homelessness, trauma, and broken families—is immeasurable.
And let me tell you, the trauma is real! Even if you disagree with elements of the Bill or fear this or that consequence, you as Council Members are morally obliged to do something in the face of all the profound suffering that has been presented to you in testimony. Unless you have a better idea that is immediately actionable, basic decency compels you to support the best idea on the table represented by Bill 9.
Listen to Stan Franco, unless you are willing to stand before the community to make the false claim that you have done more, know more, or have worked harder for the housing insecure, who are largely excluded from these proceedings because of barriers to civic participation in testimony that are inherent to housing insecurity.
Some fear lawsuits, citing property rights and legal exposure. But regulating land use is not new. What’s new is the courage to do it for the people, not just the market. And with the 2027 sunset and proper grandfathering, the county has balanced fairness with necessity.
Culturally, Bill 9 represents a rare turning point. This is our chance to correct decades of extraction. This is our moment to center kānaka values in zoning policy. This is our way of saying, “We choose aloha over Airbnb. We choose ‘ohana over occupancy rates. We choose kuleana over absentee profits.”
Let me be clear: I do not hate visitors. I welcome those who come with respect. But we cannot survive if we continue to displace ourselves to make room for them. Hospitality should not come at the cost of local family dignity and survival.
If you vote yes on Bill 9, you are not just closing a loophole. You are opening a doorway for thousands of residents to return home. You are sending a message to every young person wondering if they’ll ever afford to live here: “Yes, this island is still for you.” You are restoring the sacred balance between land, people, and future.
I ask each of you, Councilmembers—especially those of you born and raised here—to remember the stories of your own families. Think of your grandparents and great-grandparents. Would they have voted to preserve a vacation unit, or to house a teacher? Would they have defended profit margins, or made room for the next generation?
And if there is a Councilmember who can sit through all of this testimony—hours of heartfelt confessions from real people describing their intense trauma and pain, their displacement, their fear, their heartbreak—and still vote no on the best, most immediate policy solution we have on the table, then with the deepest respect, then something misaligned will be exposed n your compass of public service.
Councilmembers, I understand that the nine-member Council currently earns $101,302 each per year, with the Council Chair receiving $106,367 annually, following a 26%–23% raise effective July 1. This level of six-figure compensation puts you far above the stress and uncertainty of housing insecurity—so much so that to truly understand the shame, the fear, the embarrassment, and the terror of being without shelter requires both imagination and uncomfortable, intentional empathy. None of you on this Council wakes up wondering whether you will be evicted, whether your children will stay safe, or whether your family will be swept away in an emergency because there’s no roof over their heads.
That daily reality is the truth for many of your constituents, and their suffering is fully visible in the testimony before you. If that pain doesn’t move you to support the one policy we have now—Bill 9—then I urge you to look again, reconsider, and vote with both your heart and your paycheck aligned toward justice.
At its core, democracy means paying elected leaders not to serve the wealthy, but to resist their influence—especially in times of crisis. You are not neutral observers. You are paid agents of justice, tasked with infiltrating the halls of power on behalf of those who are voiceless, landless, and politically invisible.
In this moment, that means prioritizing those who are unhoused, overburdened, and left behind by the very tourism economy that has enriched so few while displacing so many. Please take this sacred responsibility with the seriousness it demands. The credibility of our incredible local democracy, and the trust of the people who still believe in it, depend on how you show up for them now.
I don’t say any of this to insult, but to awaken. We are not here to defend ideals in a vacuum. We are here because the ground is burning beneath our feet. Please, if you find yourself leaning toward a no vote, I ask you to reconsider—not for politics, but for your soul, for your neighbors, and for the island you love.
History will remember how you voted. And in Hawaiian thought, the decisions we make in this life echo far into the next. So I say to you with all the reverence in my heart:
Vote yes, and be remembered well.
In this world and the afterlife.
Vote yes with the same urgency you would feel if your own family were facing eviction tomorrow.
Vote yes as if someone without a home is literally on their knees before you—pleading not for charity, but for justice, and asking you to use the power you hold to make this right.
Vote yes for the voters who, due to lacking a permanent residence, could not receive a mail-in ballot—but still made the effort to vote for you in person at a designated voting center. Every single Councilmember can count voters who believed in your leadership despite having no stable place to call home. Honor their trust. They showed up for you—now it’s your turn to show up for them.
Mahalo nui loa for your time, your service, and your heart.
Aloha
Deleted User
about 1 month ago
To the Honorable Chair and Members of the Housing and Land Use Committee:
Aloha and mahalo for the opportunity to submit this written testimony in **strong, enthusiastic, world-changing** support of Bill 9.
Let me be clear: **Bill 9 will solve the housing crisis on Maui.** That much is obvious. But it will do so much more. Approving this bill is not merely a local zoning action — it is an act of global consequence. If passed, I firmly believe that Bill 9 will:
* Reverse global warming by reducing Maui’s reliance on unsustainable development patterns, encouraging walkable communities, and eliminating the heat island effect created by investor-owned, empty vacation units.
* Bring peace to the Middle East — yes, even to Israel and Palestine — by showing that when a small island can prioritize human dignity over real estate speculation, then surely the rest of the world can, too.
* Trigger a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, because clearly if Maui County can end its own internal zoning wars, then global superpowers will recognize the futility of conflict.
* Lower gas prices, because more people will live near where they work, reducing commute times, increasing energy efficiency, and putting less pressure on global oil markets.
* Increase wages, because when working families aren’t crushed by housing costs, they can spend more, save more, and invest in their futures — stimulating a local economy that values workers instead of displacing them.
* And yes — **free Palestine**, because justice begins at home. When a county government like ours stands for the principle that land should serve people, not profit, it creates a moral ripple across the planet.
Some may say this is an exaggeration. To them I say: **It is no more exaggerated than the damage caused by the failure to act.**
Bill 9 is not a silver bullet. It will not fix every zoning error, eliminate all speculative pressure, or heal every wound caused by colonization, extraction, and corruption. But it is **a courageous, decisive, and moral step forward.**
By passing this bill, Maui will affirm what every person in this room knows: that housing is not a commodity — it is a human right. And in affirming that truth here on our island, we send a message to the world:
**People come before profit. Community comes before speculation. And the future starts now.**
I submit this testimony in **strong support of Bill 9** and to offer a reasoned response to the growing opposition from legally operating short-term rental (STR) owners who argue their vested rights and economic contributions should shield them from necessary reform. While I acknowledge the sincerity of many individual STR owners, including the couple who submitted the testimony under review, I urge this Council not to confuse **legal operation** with **justified permanence**.
1. **Legal Operation Does Not Guarantee Perpetual Use Rights**
The argument that these STRs were purchased “in good faith” under existing law is not equivalent to a constitutional guarantee of indefinite continuation. Zoning laws, land use regulations, and permitted uses evolve as the public interest evolves. Every property owner is presumed to understand that zoning is not static. Legal nonconforming use (or even conditional use) can be phased out — especially when the continued use undermines the general welfare, housing equity, or sustainable land use.
No private investment, however compliant, should override the County’s constitutional duty to protect the public trust and prioritize housing for residents.
2. **Economic Contributions Are Real — But So Are the Costs**
Yes, STRs generate tax revenue, support contractors, and feed the tourism economy — but they also come at a steep social cost:
* **Displacement** of residents from multifamily housing stock.
* **Inflated property values** that price out local families.
* **Undermining long-term rentals** in apartment districts, which were never intended to host transient tourism use.
The UHERO study, cited frequently by STR advocates, **fails to weigh the countervailing costs** — such as lost community cohesion, housing instability, and infrastructure stress. We must not be lured into thinking that short-term revenue justifies long-term community erosion.
3. **Bill 9 Is Not a Ban — It Is a Phase-Out with Intentional Public Benefit**
The implication that Bill 9 will instantly “eliminate” 7,000 STRs is misleading. This is a **measured legislative phase-out** to gradually recover housing stock for residents, not an overnight shutdown. STRs in hotel and resort zones remain untouched.
The idea that “these units won’t become affordable housing” is a straw man. The **goal is not immediate affordability**, but rather **stopping the hemorrhage of supply to tourism use**. Over time, this restores market balance and encourages owners to shift toward long-term rental, resale, or redevelopment into primary homes.
4. **Other Communities Took Action Because Inaction Failed**
Citing Vail, Colorado is interesting — but misleading. Vail implemented those incentive programs **after years of worsening STR impacts**, including mass worker displacement. Maui is at an earlier (and more preventable) stage of decline. We do not have to wait for collapse to act.
Maui needs both **supply-side and demand-side housing interventions** — and Bill 9 is one of the few tools we have to reduce investor-driven pressure on apartment-zoned land.
5. **Retirement Strategy ≠ Public Land Use Entitlement**
Framing STR ownership as a retirement lifeline or cost-offsetting strategy reveals the deeper truth: these units are primarily investments. But land use policy must not be shaped by the financial models of individual investors — especially when those models conflict with the survival and stability of the local workforce.
Conclusion
Bill 9 is not an attack on individuals. It is a long-overdue correction to a system that has failed our people. Maui’s housing is not a retirement plan, a commodity, or a tax haven — it is a foundation of life, dignity, and opportunity for residents.
I respectfully urge you to **pass Bill 9 without weakening amendments**, and to reaffirm that the County’s kuleana is not to protect ROI for out-of-town investors or legal STRs, but to protect housing access for our people.
Mahalo for your courage and commitment to justice.
Bill 9 is not an attack on individuals. It is a long-overdue correction to a system that has failed our people. Maui’s housing is not a retirement plan, a commodity, or a tax haven — it is a foundation of life, dignity, and opportunity for residents.
I respectfully urge you to pass Bill 9 without weakening amendments, and to reaffirm that the County’s kuleana is not to protect ROI for out-of-town investors or legal STRs, but to protect housing access for our people.
Mahalo for your courage and commitment to justice.
Subject: Opposing Bill 9 – Preserve Maui’s Legal Short-Term Rentals and Local Livelihoods
Aloha Chair, Vice Chair, and Honorable Council Members,
I am writing to respectfully voice my strong opposition to Bill 9, which seeks to phase out more than 7,000 legally operating short-term vacation rentals (STRs) in Maui County. These units have long complied with county regulations, contribute substantial tax revenue, support local jobs, and play a critical role in Maui’s broader tourism ecosystem.
My husband and I are the owners of one such permitted STR. We purchased our property in good faith based on its codified legal status and have always approached ownership with a sense of responsibility to the community. We employ Maui-based cleaners, landscapers, and maintenance workers — individuals who depend on STRs like ours for reliable income. We also actively recommend nearby restaurants, shops, and activities to our guests.
Many of our visitors are families traveling with children or older relatives. They choose Maui because it offers more than a hotel room — they greatly value the ability to stay in a home-like environment with a kitchen, shared living space, and a stronger connection to the local community. For many, a short-term rental is the only way they can afford to visit Maui at all. Removing this option will not shift them into hotels — it will simply cause them to vacation elsewhere, taking their tourism dollars with them.
This isn’t just our personal experience. According to the 2024 UHERO study commissioned by the Hawai‘i Community Foundation, phasing out TVRs in Apartment-zoned districts could result in:
• $900 million in lost annual visitor spending
• 1,900 job losses across the island
• $60 million decline in property tax revenue by 2029
These numbers are sobering and illustrate just how tightly STRs are woven into the fabric of Maui’s local economy.
We understand and share the Council’s concern about the housing crisis. However, Bill 9 is not a real solution. It risks sacrificing the economic contributions of law-abiding property owners, local workers, and small businesses — without meaningfully increasing housing supply or affordability. Like many property owners, we face rising costs — including monthly HOA dues, wildfire-related insurance increases, and ongoing maintenance costs for older structures built approximately 45 years ago. STR income helps us meet these significant obligations while keeping the property safe, well-maintained, and available to guests who support local businesses during their stay. These units do not magically become affordable housing through Bill 9.
Other resort communities have taken more thoughtful, effective approaches to provide more affordable housing. In Vail, Colorado — which faces similar housing challenges — the county has implemented voluntary deed-restriction programs (with willing buyers and sellers), down payment assistance, mixed-income developments, and incentives for long-term rental conversions. These solutions respect the codified rights of legal STR owners while addressing housing needs head-on.
I respectfully urge you to vote against Bill 9 in its current form and instead pursue a balanced, data-driven strategy — one that protects long-standing legal operations while expanding real, workable options for local residents in need of housing.
Mahalo for your time, your service, and your thoughtful consideration of this important issue.
**WRITTEN TESTIMONY IN STRONG SUPPORT OF BILL 9**
**To:** Maui County Council, Housing and Land Use Committee
**Aloha Chair and Councilmembers,**
I am writing as a long-time Maui resident and the owner of short-term vacation rentals. While these rentals have helped me support my family and keep up with the high cost of living, I also believe in fairness, pono land use, and doing what’s right for the long-term health of our community. That’s why I am submitting this testimony in **strong support of Bill 9**.
BILL 9 ISN’T A COMPLETE AFFORDABLE HOUSING SOLUTION—BUT IT’S PART OF ONE
I understand that **Bill 9 won’t automatically lower rent or create low-income housing**. But that’s not the point of this bill. What it *does* do is help make sure that the homes we already have are actually used for housing Maui residents—not as year-round hotel rooms for visitors.
That matters. Because if we don’t protect what little housing inventory we have left, all our other affordable housing efforts will be wasted. Bill 9 helps **stop the loss** of residential units to commercial tourism operations, and that’s a step in the right direction.
APARTMENT ZONED AREAS WERE NEVER MEANT TO BE HOTEL DISTRICTS
When I first bought my properties, I trusted that the County would enforce zoning rules fairly and clearly. But over time, I’ve seen apartment-zoned areas slowly turn into unregulated hotel zones. These were never meant to be short-term rental districts, but lax enforcement and loopholes made it seem like they were.
Bill 9 simply corrects that. It brings zoning back in line with its original intent: **housing people**, not maximizing tourist profits. It’s not an attack on property owners. It’s a reset—an attempt to get back to what was always supposed to be.
IT’S HARD TO LET GO, BUT THE RIGHT THING ISN’T ALWAYS THE EASY THING
Owning two vacation rentals has helped me stay afloat. I won’t pretend otherwise. But I also see the bigger picture: the traffic, the overcrowded beaches, the rising prices, and the friends and family who’ve had to leave Maui because they couldn’t find a place to live. I’d rather live in a place where my neighbors are locals, not strangers every week.
Phasing out STVRs in apartment zones may cost me in the short run—but it helps preserve something way more important: **community**.
HOUSING SHOULDN’T BE A TOURISM BACKDOOR
Right now, we have housing stock—built and zoned for residents—being used for transient lodging. That doesn’t sit right with me. We have plenty of hotels already. And if we want more tourism capacity, let’s be honest about it and go through the proper channels.
Bill 9 helps **close the backdoor** that’s been quietly turning residential buildings into hotels. That’s not punishing anyone—it’s enforcing the law and restoring trust in the system.
BILL 9 IS A HARD, BUT NECESSARY, COURSE CORRECTION
I’m not asking the Council to make this decision lightly. But I *am* asking you to do what’s right for the next generation of Maui families. If we keep sacrificing housing for short-term gain, we won’t have a sustainable island community left.
I support Bill 9 even though it may impact me financially. I support it because I care about Maui more than I care about maximizing rental income.
Please pass this bill. Let it be a turning point—where we finally say, “enough is enough,” and start putting residents first.
**Mahalo for your time, and for doing the hard work.**
Sincerely,
Lore Menin
Maui Resident and Vacation Rental Owner
While tourism remains a pillar of our economy, its current scale and saturation are ecologically, socially, and economically unsustainable. Written testimony in Support of Bill 9.
I strongly oppose Bill 9:
Aloha Chair, Vice Chair, and Committee Members. My name is Norman Doyle and our family has been hard working honest tax paying property owners on West Maui for almost 50 years now. We LOVE Maui as do so many residence and non-residence alike. Maui is special to us all. I am writing because I strongly oppose Bill 9. There is overwhelming evidence that shows the passage of this bill will severely hurt local residents and absolutely does not solve the housing crisis. Many will say otherwise but a vast majority of those are speaking from emotion and not actual data. Housing for residence is vital and we can all agree with that but the properties on the Minatoya list are in no way affordable or feasible for long term housing.
Not only do we personally support many local Maui SMALL businesses such as contractors, handymen, insurance agents, restaurants, cleaners, landscapers, many who have become like family to us. Our guests obviously feel the Maui love as a large percent of them are repeat guests. Many of these same guests have told me directly they will not be able to afford to return to Maui should this bill pass. Why is that you might ask? Condo's like ours on the Minatoya list offer lower rental rates than hotels with the added benefit of a larger living area than just a hotel room, but the biggest benefit is the fact that condo's also have kitchens. This allow families the affordability they need in order to proceed with such a wonderful vacation as coming to Maui. That alone can make a huge difference to the Maui economy and specifically local small business owners.
Owning a condo on Maui is not easy. In fact it is a risk with a very small profit margin. Don't believe those that want to call us rich mainlanders. Who we really are, are small hard working business owners like so many others on Maui. WE have saved for years and years to be able to afford our condo's. We have huge overhead in our properties with large assessments (I am expecting an assessment of over $60,000 in the very near future for my condo because of deteriorating buildings that must be repaired.). Our insurance costs recently increased over 400%. These are just basic large fees that don't even cover normal operating expenses. My income from being an STR covers those costs some years and others it doesn't. I could not imagine the rental rate I would have to charge to just break even. Our STR income also goes a long way towards supporting local businesses. Over the years we have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars at Maui small businesses for things beds, furniture, carpet, decorations, new kitchens, bathrooms, remodels and on and on and on.
Thank you for your consideration and I am offering my sincere hope that you do what is right for Maui and keep the STR's and find the real solution to affordable house for those needing it.
Aloha,
Here’s my testimony in Opposition to Bill 9:
Affordable Housing is in an emergency crisis situation. It cannot be fixed by taking away STRs. It all goes back to one thing. Lack of water to issue building permits. There’s plenty of land and plenty of money. The problem is water. We have heard it time and time again. Can’t build houses because lack of water. Let’s work on fixing that and the rest will be easy.
The goal should be to figure out how to tap into that massive ocean that surrounds us and develop a way to desalinate on a large scale to supply Maui with abundant water. We should be looking at cutting edge technologies. We should be striving to be the best in the world at desalination. It can’t be that hard. They want solar farms. They want wind farms. Why not evaporation farms? It could be done and it should be done as fast as possible.
Over two hundred people have provided testimony yet no one has gotten to the root problem. Water. Let’s make Maui the number one desalination place on earth. Local kids could have jobs in it. They could be the innovators. They could figure it out using AI computing.
If we had abundant water we could build the homes and by building enough homes we could house the community. Building a solid supply of homes brings the price of housing down. It’s supply and demand economics 101. There could be reasonable limits on future tourism numbers, STR numbers, hotel rooms, rental cars, etc after the fact. Let’s figure out how we can make that big beautiful Pacific Ocean drinkable.
Do it and we all win.
Thank you!
Bill Corbin
Kihei
I am a transplant living on Maui and I strongly support Bill 9. Native Hawaiians have been suffering their displacement by not being able to afford to live in their own home for far too long, and this bill is a step in the right direction. People first and profit after.
Aloha honorable chair and committee members. When I was president of the nonprofit Hawai'i Museums Association I participated in government and community efforts to support fire-affected organizations in Lahaina for cultural resource recovery. It was work that was both heartbreaking and heartwarming, showcasing the best of community care, support, and resilience in the face of devastation. Through this work I developed better understandings about community needs and systems that challenged these needs. It is clear to me that short term rentals are a huge obstacle for housing security for local residents, including those displaced by the fires. Please support Bill 9 and efforts to create long-term, sustainable, and affordable housing for communities that need it most. Mahalo nui loa.
Imagine if these properties were already long term rentals before the fires? Imagine how many locals would have viable options? Maui residents have been at the bottom of the housing priority list for too long. It took the decimation of our historic Lahaina Town and the deaths of our ohana for this to even be considered, so shame! Do what is right for the ohana, not the investment portfolio.
I support Bill 9. Allow more rentals for the local community to remain in their home land.
Listen to Stan Franco.
Aloha Council members,
I am a 25 year old Kanaka Maoli woman, who is trying to make ends meet while also saving up for a property on the island I was born and raised in. While I understand how much our economy leans on tourism, being in the hospitality industry myself, at what point do we draw the line? Tourists come here to experience our culture, but Hawai’i is not the same without Hawaiians. I’ve had multiple guests come into the restaurant I work at and actually tell me that they’re disappointed because they expected to see more local people on island, specifically Hawaiians.
We are being displaced and part of the problem are how many short term rentals have been allowed. In my neighborhood alone there have been 3 homes on my street that are now short term rentals or airbnb’s when they could be housing local families. Plus the amount of tourists I see stocking up at costco tells me they’re not really supporting local while they’re here. So it’s not fair for us having to be pushed out of our homes just because short term rental property owners are saying they “recommend small businesses” to their guests. That is simply not enough.
I’m not saying we do not need tourism, but there needs to be balance. The tourism industry is sucking our resources dry. We do not need to rely so heavily on tourism as we do now. It is not sustainable for the land as we’ve seen with the fires and water shortages, nor is it sustainable for our people. I urge the council to please consider how helpful this bill will be for not only our generation, but the generations to come. We need to keep our community in tact.
Dear Council Members,
During yesterday’s session, a local pastor presented a thoughtful and community-centered proposal: to develop housing on church-owned land that would serve both long-term residents and visitors. His plan outlined how income from short-term rentals (STRs) could subsidize affordable housing for local families—including providing lump sums to assist with down payments on permanent homes. It was a creative, practical solution grounded in local needs and financial realities.
Unfortunately, the council appeared to dismiss the proposal almost immediately, cautioning the speaker about being associated with STRs. This response was disappointing. Rather than evaluating the plan on its merits, it seemed to be rejected purely because it didn’t align with a broader, more oppositional stance against STRs. That kind of rigid thinking limits our ability to innovate and find collaborative solutions.
There is already deep tension around this issue, much of it fueled by frustration and fear. But we must be careful not to let that turn into blanket resistance or exclusion, especially when locals themselves are proposing ideas that could directly benefit other residents. Unity will not come from division—it will come from listening, flexibility, and a shared goal of supporting Maui’s long-term future.
My family has strong ties to the island. We visit several times a year and intend to retire in Maui within the next decade. Our STR in Kihei consistently sees a 96% occupancy rate, contributing to the local economy through visitor spending, taxes, and local employment. Converting our unit to a long-term rental is not feasible for us, and selling is not currently an option. If this bill passes in its current form, our property may simply sit vacant—benefiting no one.
I urge the council to approach this decision with a wider lens. Please don’t allow ideology or pressure to outweigh opportunity and reason. The people of Maui deserve nuanced, community-first solutions—and that includes those proposed by locals who see value in balancing responsible tourism with housing needs.
Mahalo for your service and your consideration.
Robert Silvernagel
As an owner of a local business for 13 to 14 years, here on Maui, it is become very clear that our housing shortage has a big impact on our economy here on Maui. I have seen many teachers leave the island who are teaching our keiki for many years here, leave the island as they not able to afford to buy or rent a home as there’s a shortage of homes here in Maui. The county mayor has a right to provide homes for each individual and each ohana here on Maui and I believe that each family deserves to have a home that’s affordable to live here on Maui also.
As far as the economy, we have lost a lot of business due to the fires as many families have left Maui so our income has come down so that affects business And the effects of revenue towards the state and my county has also lowered. We must protect the Keiki who are going to grow up here and we must protect families and allow them and support them to live and thrive on this beautiful island.
If people continue to leave the island, we will no longer have enough teachers enough grocery store, workers enough hotel, workers, enough engineers, enough mechanics everything that makes the economy and our local businesses. There will be nobody left here except for Rich outsiders, and all the homes will be vacant
Mahalo Tom.C
As a born and raised local who is the child of a single parent lifetime renter she had hoped there would be a possibility for us to be able to purchase land together. That has become extremely unlikely with how the development of Maui is going - Bill 9 is the first step towards a path where locals have an opportunity to steward the land they are from.
It is extremely disparaging to watch the neighborhood you grew up in become gutted from the lovely local neighborhood with local families to short term rentals and out of town residents who are only here for 2 months out of the year. I've sadly watched this happen all across the island and is the reason our island is losing its culture and aloha. We have already surpassed the 50% margin of residents who are not from here and it shows day to day in every interaction I have. We are losing locals by the thousands - I have already been in the position twice where I was a few weeks from being forced to move off island. Look around the world and you will see this issue is becoming common in top tourist destinations and if this bill does not pass I would not be surprised to see strikes like they are doing in there and other major destinations.
The simple logic and moral answer is straightforward on this matter where one side is simply asking for the basic right of a human while another is demanding they maintain and continue to grow their greed. Will these people ever be satisfied? I think not when you hear their testimonies and sheepishly answer they own three, six, or a whole building. These folks are not here to contribute to the community or care for the land and sea; they are here to take and profit.
Maui will be fine without these tourists, Maui will adapt and we can look to a new economic sector of agriculture or a truly environmentally focused tourism.
If you truly love Maui, Hawai'i and the culture here then you'll understand the support for this bill is the only right answer.
Aloha Chair, Vice Chair, and Committee Members,
My name is Sherry Owen-Siekmann ], and I own a short-term rental property in Maui County. I am writing today to express my deep concern and strong opposition to the proposed legislation to phase out more than 7,000 vacation rentals.
I have been coming here since I was 14 years old with my family and later in life added my husband and children. I’ve worked hard to be a responsible and community-oriented owner. I recommend always local restaurants and tour guides in my welcome guide. I employ local service providers — cleaners, maintenance techs, and landscapers — many of whom have become like family over the years. My guests often leave Maui commenting in our check-in book how much they enjoyed their stay and how the island made Their family feel welcome.
Some of my guests have even said they wouldn’t have come at all if they didn’t have a vacation rental option. That matters — not just to me, but to all the small businesses they supported during their stay.
Owning in this complex has not been easy. We’ve faced huge maintenance costs, special assessments, and massive increases in insurance after the fires. These aren’t luxuries — they’re costs that ensure the property remains safe, functional, and appealing. STR income helps cover those costs while supporting local workers, but the last few years that’s about all it supports. I make no money on this property, but do you get to enjoy coming out here and sharing it with my family and friends and visitors?
This legislation feels rushed and one-sided. I urge the Council to work with owners like me to find a fair and balanced path forward — one that protects local jobs, supports the economy, and holds STR owners to high standards, instead of phasing us out completely. I don’t understand why the timeshare short term rentals are not included this ban.
Mahalo for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Sherry Owen- Siekmann
Aloha e nā Lālā o ke Kōmike Hoʻohana ʻĀina a me nā Hale,
I offer this testimony with deep gratitude and kuleana to the land, to our kūpuna, and to the families whose roots run generations deep in Maui’s soil.
I rise today in unwavering support of Bill 9—not because it’s easy, but because it is right. Not because it avoids pain, but because it begins to heal one of the greatest wounds inflicted on this island in our lifetimes: the slow, calculated displacement of local families from their own homeland.
We all watched it happen. Once, apartment-zoned neighborhoods were filled with laughter from keiki running down the hallways after school, aunties barbecuing, kūpuna sweeping lanai steps, and families looking out for one another. Now, those same buildings sit hollow in spirit, turned into transient pods for strangers whose only connection to this island is a reservation number. The vast majority of some apartment buildings in Lahaina, Kihei, and Ma‘alaea have become ghost villages in disguise, lit by unfamiliar lights, secured with coded locks, and emptied of aloha.
How did we get here? Slowly, at first—one unit at a time. Then by loophole, then by silence. We were told we needed tourism. We were told we couldn’t afford to upset it. We were told there was no other way.
And yet—here we are. Lahaina burned. Families scattered. Workers living in cars. Nurses commuting from Hana to Kahului. Kūpuna watching their moʻopuna leave for Vegas because they can’t survive here. Are we still going to pretend nothing’s wrong?
Some say this bill is too drastic. Too fast. Too hard. But let’s talk honestly. How long have we waited? How many hundreds of written and spoken testimonies have we heard, crying for change? How many reports, meetings, studies, protests? If anything, this bill is late. But it’s not too late.
We can still choose a new path.
Maui kūpuna understood that the ʻāina was not a commodity. Land was a relationship. Housing was a shared responsibility. Decisions were made with future generations in mind, not quarterly earnings.
The short-term rental economy, as it exists, is an inversion of those values. It profits from scarcity, not abundance. From distance, not belonging. It treats our island as a backdrop—not a home. And while tourism does bring money, it does not bring back displaced children. It does not bring back burnt homes. It does not bring back security for our community.
Opponents have argued that STR conversions won’t work because the units are too small or too expensive. But I say: give locals the choice first. Let them find the creativity and resilience that their ancestors always had. We’ve made homes from lava tubes, tarps on the beach, tents, plantation barracks, carports, backyards, cars, and even chicken coops—because we had to. Don’t tell us we can’t make do with a studio!
Others raise concerns about economic fallout. But look deeper. The AP reported that the total property tax revenue loss might be $60 million per year. That’s less than 4% of our county’s latest budget. Meanwhile, the social cost of not acting—of continued homelessness, trauma, and broken families—is immeasurable.
And let me tell you, the trauma is real! Even if you disagree with elements of the Bill or fear this or that consequence, you as Council Members are morally obliged to do something in the face of all the profound suffering that has been presented to you in testimony. Unless you have a better idea that is immediately actionable, basic decency compels you to support the best idea on the table represented by Bill 9.
Listen to Stan Franco, unless you are willing to stand before the community to make the false claim that you have done more, know more, or have worked harder for the housing insecure, who are largely excluded from these proceedings because of barriers to civic participation in testimony that are inherent to housing insecurity.
Some fear lawsuits, citing property rights and legal exposure. But regulating land use is not new. What’s new is the courage to do it for the people, not just the market. And with the 2027 sunset and proper grandfathering, the county has balanced fairness with necessity.
Culturally, Bill 9 represents a rare turning point. This is our chance to correct decades of extraction. This is our moment to center kānaka values in zoning policy. This is our way of saying, “We choose aloha over Airbnb. We choose ‘ohana over occupancy rates. We choose kuleana over absentee profits.”
Let me be clear: I do not hate visitors. I welcome those who come with respect. But we cannot survive if we continue to displace ourselves to make room for them. Hospitality should not come at the cost of local family dignity and survival.
If you vote yes on Bill 9, you are not just closing a loophole. You are opening a doorway for thousands of residents to return home. You are sending a message to every young person wondering if they’ll ever afford to live here: “Yes, this island is still for you.” You are restoring the sacred balance between land, people, and future.
I ask each of you, Councilmembers—especially those of you born and raised here—to remember the stories of your own families. Think of your grandparents and great-grandparents. Would they have voted to preserve a vacation unit, or to house a teacher? Would they have defended profit margins, or made room for the next generation?
And if there is a Councilmember who can sit through all of this testimony—hours of heartfelt confessions from real people describing their intense trauma and pain, their displacement, their fear, their heartbreak—and still vote no on the best, most immediate policy solution we have on the table, then with the deepest respect, then something misaligned will be exposed n your compass of public service.
Councilmembers, I understand that the nine-member Council currently earns $101,302 each per year, with the Council Chair receiving $106,367 annually, following a 26%–23% raise effective July 1. This level of six-figure compensation puts you far above the stress and uncertainty of housing insecurity—so much so that to truly understand the shame, the fear, the embarrassment, and the terror of being without shelter requires both imagination and uncomfortable, intentional empathy. None of you on this Council wakes up wondering whether you will be evicted, whether your children will stay safe, or whether your family will be swept away in an emergency because there’s no roof over their heads.
That daily reality is the truth for many of your constituents, and their suffering is fully visible in the testimony before you. If that pain doesn’t move you to support the one policy we have now—Bill 9—then I urge you to look again, reconsider, and vote with both your heart and your paycheck aligned toward justice.
At its core, democracy means paying elected leaders not to serve the wealthy, but to resist their influence—especially in times of crisis. You are not neutral observers. You are paid agents of justice, tasked with infiltrating the halls of power on behalf of those who are voiceless, landless, and politically invisible.
In this moment, that means prioritizing those who are unhoused, overburdened, and left behind by the very tourism economy that has enriched so few while displacing so many. Please take this sacred responsibility with the seriousness it demands. The credibility of our incredible local democracy, and the trust of the people who still believe in it, depend on how you show up for them now.
I don’t say any of this to insult, but to awaken. We are not here to defend ideals in a vacuum. We are here because the ground is burning beneath our feet. Please, if you find yourself leaning toward a no vote, I ask you to reconsider—not for politics, but for your soul, for your neighbors, and for the island you love.
History will remember how you voted. And in Hawaiian thought, the decisions we make in this life echo far into the next. So I say to you with all the reverence in my heart:
Vote yes, and be remembered well.
In this world and the afterlife.
Vote yes with the same urgency you would feel if your own family were facing eviction tomorrow.
Vote yes as if someone without a home is literally on their knees before you—pleading not for charity, but for justice, and asking you to use the power you hold to make this right.
Vote yes for the voters who, due to lacking a permanent residence, could not receive a mail-in ballot—but still made the effort to vote for you in person at a designated voting center. Every single Councilmember can count voters who believed in your leadership despite having no stable place to call home. Honor their trust. They showed up for you—now it’s your turn to show up for them.
Mahalo nui loa for your time, your service, and your heart.
Aloha
To the Honorable Chair and Members of the Housing and Land Use Committee:
Aloha and mahalo for the opportunity to submit this written testimony in **strong, enthusiastic, world-changing** support of Bill 9.
Let me be clear: **Bill 9 will solve the housing crisis on Maui.** That much is obvious. But it will do so much more. Approving this bill is not merely a local zoning action — it is an act of global consequence. If passed, I firmly believe that Bill 9 will:
* Reverse global warming by reducing Maui’s reliance on unsustainable development patterns, encouraging walkable communities, and eliminating the heat island effect created by investor-owned, empty vacation units.
* Bring peace to the Middle East — yes, even to Israel and Palestine — by showing that when a small island can prioritize human dignity over real estate speculation, then surely the rest of the world can, too.
* Trigger a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, because clearly if Maui County can end its own internal zoning wars, then global superpowers will recognize the futility of conflict.
* Lower gas prices, because more people will live near where they work, reducing commute times, increasing energy efficiency, and putting less pressure on global oil markets.
* Increase wages, because when working families aren’t crushed by housing costs, they can spend more, save more, and invest in their futures — stimulating a local economy that values workers instead of displacing them.
* And yes — **free Palestine**, because justice begins at home. When a county government like ours stands for the principle that land should serve people, not profit, it creates a moral ripple across the planet.
Some may say this is an exaggeration. To them I say: **It is no more exaggerated than the damage caused by the failure to act.**
Bill 9 is not a silver bullet. It will not fix every zoning error, eliminate all speculative pressure, or heal every wound caused by colonization, extraction, and corruption. But it is **a courageous, decisive, and moral step forward.**
By passing this bill, Maui will affirm what every person in this room knows: that housing is not a commodity — it is a human right. And in affirming that truth here on our island, we send a message to the world:
**People come before profit. Community comes before speculation. And the future starts now.**
Please pass Bill 9.
John Bonilla
Listen to Stan Franco
Aloha Chair and Council Members,
I submit this testimony in **strong support of Bill 9** and to offer a reasoned response to the growing opposition from legally operating short-term rental (STR) owners who argue their vested rights and economic contributions should shield them from necessary reform. While I acknowledge the sincerity of many individual STR owners, including the couple who submitted the testimony under review, I urge this Council not to confuse **legal operation** with **justified permanence**.
1. **Legal Operation Does Not Guarantee Perpetual Use Rights**
The argument that these STRs were purchased “in good faith” under existing law is not equivalent to a constitutional guarantee of indefinite continuation. Zoning laws, land use regulations, and permitted uses evolve as the public interest evolves. Every property owner is presumed to understand that zoning is not static. Legal nonconforming use (or even conditional use) can be phased out — especially when the continued use undermines the general welfare, housing equity, or sustainable land use.
No private investment, however compliant, should override the County’s constitutional duty to protect the public trust and prioritize housing for residents.
2. **Economic Contributions Are Real — But So Are the Costs**
Yes, STRs generate tax revenue, support contractors, and feed the tourism economy — but they also come at a steep social cost:
* **Displacement** of residents from multifamily housing stock.
* **Inflated property values** that price out local families.
* **Undermining long-term rentals** in apartment districts, which were never intended to host transient tourism use.
The UHERO study, cited frequently by STR advocates, **fails to weigh the countervailing costs** — such as lost community cohesion, housing instability, and infrastructure stress. We must not be lured into thinking that short-term revenue justifies long-term community erosion.
3. **Bill 9 Is Not a Ban — It Is a Phase-Out with Intentional Public Benefit**
The implication that Bill 9 will instantly “eliminate” 7,000 STRs is misleading. This is a **measured legislative phase-out** to gradually recover housing stock for residents, not an overnight shutdown. STRs in hotel and resort zones remain untouched.
The idea that “these units won’t become affordable housing” is a straw man. The **goal is not immediate affordability**, but rather **stopping the hemorrhage of supply to tourism use**. Over time, this restores market balance and encourages owners to shift toward long-term rental, resale, or redevelopment into primary homes.
4. **Other Communities Took Action Because Inaction Failed**
Citing Vail, Colorado is interesting — but misleading. Vail implemented those incentive programs **after years of worsening STR impacts**, including mass worker displacement. Maui is at an earlier (and more preventable) stage of decline. We do not have to wait for collapse to act.
Maui needs both **supply-side and demand-side housing interventions** — and Bill 9 is one of the few tools we have to reduce investor-driven pressure on apartment-zoned land.
5. **Retirement Strategy ≠ Public Land Use Entitlement**
Framing STR ownership as a retirement lifeline or cost-offsetting strategy reveals the deeper truth: these units are primarily investments. But land use policy must not be shaped by the financial models of individual investors — especially when those models conflict with the survival and stability of the local workforce.
Conclusion
Bill 9 is not an attack on individuals. It is a long-overdue correction to a system that has failed our people. Maui’s housing is not a retirement plan, a commodity, or a tax haven — it is a foundation of life, dignity, and opportunity for residents.
I respectfully urge you to **pass Bill 9 without weakening amendments**, and to reaffirm that the County’s kuleana is not to protect ROI for out-of-town investors or legal STRs, but to protect housing access for our people.
Mahalo for your courage and commitment to justice.
Respectfully,
Allin Bohba
Wailea Resident
Bill 9 is not an attack on individuals. It is a long-overdue correction to a system that has failed our people. Maui’s housing is not a retirement plan, a commodity, or a tax haven — it is a foundation of life, dignity, and opportunity for residents.
I respectfully urge you to pass Bill 9 without weakening amendments, and to reaffirm that the County’s kuleana is not to protect ROI for out-of-town investors or legal STRs, but to protect housing access for our people.
Mahalo for your courage and commitment to justice.
Tryson Kaiama
Subject: Opposing Bill 9 – Preserve Maui’s Legal Short-Term Rentals and Local Livelihoods
Aloha Chair, Vice Chair, and Honorable Council Members,
I am writing to respectfully voice my strong opposition to Bill 9, which seeks to phase out more than 7,000 legally operating short-term vacation rentals (STRs) in Maui County. These units have long complied with county regulations, contribute substantial tax revenue, support local jobs, and play a critical role in Maui’s broader tourism ecosystem.
My husband and I are the owners of one such permitted STR. We purchased our property in good faith based on its codified legal status and have always approached ownership with a sense of responsibility to the community. We employ Maui-based cleaners, landscapers, and maintenance workers — individuals who depend on STRs like ours for reliable income. We also actively recommend nearby restaurants, shops, and activities to our guests.
Many of our visitors are families traveling with children or older relatives. They choose Maui because it offers more than a hotel room — they greatly value the ability to stay in a home-like environment with a kitchen, shared living space, and a stronger connection to the local community. For many, a short-term rental is the only way they can afford to visit Maui at all. Removing this option will not shift them into hotels — it will simply cause them to vacation elsewhere, taking their tourism dollars with them.
This isn’t just our personal experience. According to the 2024 UHERO study commissioned by the Hawai‘i Community Foundation, phasing out TVRs in Apartment-zoned districts could result in:
• $900 million in lost annual visitor spending
• 1,900 job losses across the island
• $60 million decline in property tax revenue by 2029
These numbers are sobering and illustrate just how tightly STRs are woven into the fabric of Maui’s local economy.
We understand and share the Council’s concern about the housing crisis. However, Bill 9 is not a real solution. It risks sacrificing the economic contributions of law-abiding property owners, local workers, and small businesses — without meaningfully increasing housing supply or affordability. Like many property owners, we face rising costs — including monthly HOA dues, wildfire-related insurance increases, and ongoing maintenance costs for older structures built approximately 45 years ago. STR income helps us meet these significant obligations while keeping the property safe, well-maintained, and available to guests who support local businesses during their stay. These units do not magically become affordable housing through Bill 9.
Other resort communities have taken more thoughtful, effective approaches to provide more affordable housing. In Vail, Colorado — which faces similar housing challenges — the county has implemented voluntary deed-restriction programs (with willing buyers and sellers), down payment assistance, mixed-income developments, and incentives for long-term rental conversions. These solutions respect the codified rights of legal STR owners while addressing housing needs head-on.
I respectfully urge you to vote against Bill 9 in its current form and instead pursue a balanced, data-driven strategy — one that protects long-standing legal operations while expanding real, workable options for local residents in need of housing.
Mahalo for your time, your service, and your thoughtful consideration of this important issue.
Sincerely,
Sandra LaBaugh
sandy@itpros.net
**WRITTEN TESTIMONY IN STRONG SUPPORT OF BILL 9**
**To:** Maui County Council, Housing and Land Use Committee
**Aloha Chair and Councilmembers,**
I am writing as a long-time Maui resident and the owner of short-term vacation rentals. While these rentals have helped me support my family and keep up with the high cost of living, I also believe in fairness, pono land use, and doing what’s right for the long-term health of our community. That’s why I am submitting this testimony in **strong support of Bill 9**.
BILL 9 ISN’T A COMPLETE AFFORDABLE HOUSING SOLUTION—BUT IT’S PART OF ONE
I understand that **Bill 9 won’t automatically lower rent or create low-income housing**. But that’s not the point of this bill. What it *does* do is help make sure that the homes we already have are actually used for housing Maui residents—not as year-round hotel rooms for visitors.
That matters. Because if we don’t protect what little housing inventory we have left, all our other affordable housing efforts will be wasted. Bill 9 helps **stop the loss** of residential units to commercial tourism operations, and that’s a step in the right direction.
APARTMENT ZONED AREAS WERE NEVER MEANT TO BE HOTEL DISTRICTS
When I first bought my properties, I trusted that the County would enforce zoning rules fairly and clearly. But over time, I’ve seen apartment-zoned areas slowly turn into unregulated hotel zones. These were never meant to be short-term rental districts, but lax enforcement and loopholes made it seem like they were.
Bill 9 simply corrects that. It brings zoning back in line with its original intent: **housing people**, not maximizing tourist profits. It’s not an attack on property owners. It’s a reset—an attempt to get back to what was always supposed to be.
IT’S HARD TO LET GO, BUT THE RIGHT THING ISN’T ALWAYS THE EASY THING
Owning two vacation rentals has helped me stay afloat. I won’t pretend otherwise. But I also see the bigger picture: the traffic, the overcrowded beaches, the rising prices, and the friends and family who’ve had to leave Maui because they couldn’t find a place to live. I’d rather live in a place where my neighbors are locals, not strangers every week.
Phasing out STVRs in apartment zones may cost me in the short run—but it helps preserve something way more important: **community**.
HOUSING SHOULDN’T BE A TOURISM BACKDOOR
Right now, we have housing stock—built and zoned for residents—being used for transient lodging. That doesn’t sit right with me. We have plenty of hotels already. And if we want more tourism capacity, let’s be honest about it and go through the proper channels.
Bill 9 helps **close the backdoor** that’s been quietly turning residential buildings into hotels. That’s not punishing anyone—it’s enforcing the law and restoring trust in the system.
BILL 9 IS A HARD, BUT NECESSARY, COURSE CORRECTION
I’m not asking the Council to make this decision lightly. But I *am* asking you to do what’s right for the next generation of Maui families. If we keep sacrificing housing for short-term gain, we won’t have a sustainable island community left.
I support Bill 9 even though it may impact me financially. I support it because I care about Maui more than I care about maximizing rental income.
Please pass this bill. Let it be a turning point—where we finally say, “enough is enough,” and start putting residents first.
**Mahalo for your time, and for doing the hard work.**
Sincerely,
Lore Menin
Maui Resident and Vacation Rental Owner
While tourism remains a pillar of our economy, its current scale and saturation are ecologically, socially, and economically unsustainable. Written testimony in Support of Bill 9.
I strongly oppose Bill 9:
Aloha Chair, Vice Chair, and Committee Members. My name is Norman Doyle and our family has been hard working honest tax paying property owners on West Maui for almost 50 years now. We LOVE Maui as do so many residence and non-residence alike. Maui is special to us all. I am writing because I strongly oppose Bill 9. There is overwhelming evidence that shows the passage of this bill will severely hurt local residents and absolutely does not solve the housing crisis. Many will say otherwise but a vast majority of those are speaking from emotion and not actual data. Housing for residence is vital and we can all agree with that but the properties on the Minatoya list are in no way affordable or feasible for long term housing.
Not only do we personally support many local Maui SMALL businesses such as contractors, handymen, insurance agents, restaurants, cleaners, landscapers, many who have become like family to us. Our guests obviously feel the Maui love as a large percent of them are repeat guests. Many of these same guests have told me directly they will not be able to afford to return to Maui should this bill pass. Why is that you might ask? Condo's like ours on the Minatoya list offer lower rental rates than hotels with the added benefit of a larger living area than just a hotel room, but the biggest benefit is the fact that condo's also have kitchens. This allow families the affordability they need in order to proceed with such a wonderful vacation as coming to Maui. That alone can make a huge difference to the Maui economy and specifically local small business owners.
Owning a condo on Maui is not easy. In fact it is a risk with a very small profit margin. Don't believe those that want to call us rich mainlanders. Who we really are, are small hard working business owners like so many others on Maui. WE have saved for years and years to be able to afford our condo's. We have huge overhead in our properties with large assessments (I am expecting an assessment of over $60,000 in the very near future for my condo because of deteriorating buildings that must be repaired.). Our insurance costs recently increased over 400%. These are just basic large fees that don't even cover normal operating expenses. My income from being an STR covers those costs some years and others it doesn't. I could not imagine the rental rate I would have to charge to just break even. Our STR income also goes a long way towards supporting local businesses. Over the years we have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars at Maui small businesses for things beds, furniture, carpet, decorations, new kitchens, bathrooms, remodels and on and on and on.
Thank you for your consideration and I am offering my sincere hope that you do what is right for Maui and keep the STR's and find the real solution to affordable house for those needing it.