I, too, support creating truly affordable housing for local residents—but that is not the purpose of Bill 9, and this argument misleads the public. Bill 9 is not an affordable housing bill; it is a land-use correction bill aimed at restoring Apartment District (A-1 and A-2 zoned properties) to their intended residential use. The claim that Bill 9 should be opposed because it “does not create affordable housing” is irrelevant—no zoning enforcement bill can “create” housing; it can only ensure that existing residential-zoned housing is actually used for residential purposes.
1. Humanitarian Impact – Who Is Suffering Now?
Thousands of Maui residents are displaced, overcrowded, and priced out because Apartment District units—originally intended for long-term housing—are being used as short-term vacation rentals (STVRs). Every unit used as a hotel room is one less home for a teacher, nurse, restaurant worker, or kupuna caregiver. The humanitarian crisis is not theoretical; it is happening right now. Bill 9 will not solve all housing issues, but it will stop the hemorrhaging of housing supply in apartment-zoned areas.
2. Tourism Jobs vs. Human Dignity
Opponents argue that Bill 9 will “destroy tourism jobs.” But no ethical or sustainable economy should be built on the forced displacement of local families just to house visitors. Prioritizing speculative investor ROI and transient visitors over Maui’s working families is neither humanitarian nor pono. Moreover, tourism is already saturated and unstable, as the post-Lāhainā fire economy demonstrated—Maui’s long-term economic health depends on a diversified, resident-centered workforce, not further dependence on short-term rental economies.
3. The “Properties Are Not Conducive to Family Living” Argument Is a Red Herring
The claim that units on the Minatoya List are “not conducive to family living” because of high HOAs, limited parking, or no playgrounds is misleading for several reasons:
• Local residents are already living in these same types of apartments across Maui—in Kihei, Kahului, and Wailuku—despite high HOAs and limited space.
• Not every resident in need of housing is a family with children; single workers, retirees, and couples need housing too.
• If these units are unsuitable for families, why are they suitable for tourists? They are zoned for apartments, not hotels.
4. “Locals Will Lose Jobs” – Misstated Economic Reality
Opponents assume that residents in need of housing all depend on tourism. In reality, many displaced workers leave Maui altogether because they cannot find housing. A thriving economy needs a stable resident workforce—teachers, healthcare workers, police officers—not just housekeepers and tour operators. Long-term housing stability strengthens local businesses far more sustainably than speculative tourism-based economies.
5. The County’s Failure on Affordable Housing Is Not an Excuse for Inaction
Yes, the County has failed for decades to build affordable housing. But that failure does not justify continuing to allow apartment-zoned housing to be used as de facto hotels. Restoring these units to their intended residential use is a necessary first step to stabilizing the housing crisis while long-term affordable housing projects are developed.
I am in favor of creating affordable housing for local residents. Bill 9 does not create "affordable housing". The loss of tourism, the income that tourism brings, not to mention the thousands of jobs that tourism brings... Bill 9 will destroy our already struggling Maui economy. The local residents cannot support the small restaurants, small stores, tour companies, housekeepers, management companies, drivers, etc... I am very familiar with the properties on the Minatoya List, many of them are not conducive to family living, as they have no storage, only 1 parking stall, no street parking, no place for Keiki to play, the HOA's average at $1000 per month and most do not allow pets.
The local residents in need of housing currently will most likely not have a job if Bill 9 passes, as most jobs are directly or indirectly affected by tourists or owners of properties listed on the Minatoya List.
The County has dropped the ball for decades on Affordable Housing, it's time for them to focus on creating housing & communities for the local residents. Bill 9 is not what's needed, it does NOT create affordable housing.
I am writing in strong support of Bill 9 because it restores the original intent of Maui’s Apartment District (A-1 and A-2 zoned properties): housing for residents, not hotel operations disguised as apartments.
Opponents of Bill 9 make several claims that deserve clarification:
⸻
1. “Bill 9 targets legally operating short-term rentals that contribute positively to the community.”
While these rentals are technically legal under the Minatoya Exemption, that exemption was a temporary grandfathering measure, never meant to permanently convert residential-zoned apartments into transient hotels. Compliance with outdated rules does not erase the fact that these units are urgently needed for Maui families, disaster survivors, and displaced fire victims. Continuing to operate them as vacation rentals during a declared housing emergency undermines humanitarian relief efforts and prolongs suffering for those forced to live in cars, tents, or temporary shelters.
⸻
2. “Short-term rentals create jobs, use local services, and generate tax revenue.”
Yes, STRs generate some revenue, but no amount of TAT or property tax can replace lost homes. This revenue does not feed displaced families or shelter kūpuna sleeping in hotel rooms months after the fires. Meanwhile, the social cost—inflated housing prices, mass displacement, and loss of long-term rental stock—is borne by local residents, not STR operators. Redirecting apartment units back into the housing market is not just economic policy; it is humanitarian relief.
⸻
3. “Bill 9 abruptly removes long-standing legal uses without a practical path forward.”
Bill 9 provides a reasonable phase-out period (18 months to 3 years)—hardly abrupt when weighed against the urgency of our crisis. Every month we delay means more fire survivors and working families remain homeless while visitors sleep in apartment buildings designed for residents. The County has both the legal right and the moral obligation to act decisively during this emergency.
⸻
4. “The Council should focus on illegal rentals instead of banning legal ones.”
Enforcing against illegal operators is essential, but legal STRs in the Apartment District are a major driver of the problem. Whole apartment complexes have been converted into de facto hotels. These are precisely the types of units that humanitarian relief organizations and the Red Cross have been begging for to house fire survivors. Leaving them in the tourist market is unacceptable when our own residents are in crisis.
⸻
5. “Bill 9 will harm small businesses and workers.”
The disruption to STR-related businesses is real, but the humanitarian crisis is far greater. We cannot prioritize maid service for tourists over shelter for fire-displaced families. Many STR workers can transition into the housing, construction, and recovery sectors, which need labor to rebuild homes and infrastructure.
⸻
Conclusion
Bill 9 is not just a zoning adjustment; it is a humanitarian measure. It will:
✅ Free up critically needed housing for displaced Maui residents and fire victims.
✅ Reduce overpopulation and car saturation in disaster-affected areas, improving emergency response capacity.
✅ Restore the Apartment District to its intended purpose—housing for people, not tourists.
Maui is still recovering from the Lāhainā fire and facing the worst housing crisis in its history. Continuing to allow tourist rentals in these apartments while thousands of our residents remain unhoused is not just bad policy—it is a moral failure.
I strongly urge you to advance Bill 9 and put the people of Maui first.
The Mayor created Bill 9 because after the fires, thousands of Maui residents were homeless while long-term housing sat vacant as STVRs in A-1 and A-2 zones. Even with state tax breaks, extra high rents these units remained empty locked away for tourists. If the County government can’t pass this basic HUMANITARIAN AID for fire victims—on their own island, from the very people who elected them—then who are they really serving?
Bill 9 is HUMANITARIAN AID. It is relief from the fires, from displacement, and from the ongoing housing emergency that has forced Maui families out of their own island. Returning Apartment District (A-1 and A-2) units to residents is not just zoning—it is immediate HUMANITARIAN relief for people who lost homes, jobs, and stability after the Lāhainā disaster. It is shameful that so many Councilmembers show more concern for condo values and vacation rental profits than for their own neighbors. Bill 9 is not about politics; it is about putting residents first when they need it most.
In an email sent from the Maui County Council, Alice Lee wrote: ‘I support the goal of creating more workforce housing for kamaʻāina. However, I also recognize the economic impacts this phase-out may have on families, jobs, and local businesses that rely on visitor spending.’
When a politician delays humanitarian housing relief to protect condo values and vacation rental profits, that’s not leadership—that’s a detour to corruption. Bill 9 is the test, and Alice Lee is failing.
Alice Lee claims to support workforce housing, but her indecision hands Maui’s future to speculators. Pass Bill 9 now or admit you stand with investors, not residents.
Pass it or kill it—but stop pretending to care about housing, water, infrastructure, public safety, zoning, planning, permitting, and the many other departments of Maui County.
If this Council is too compromised or unwilling to move Bill 9 forward, then at least have the courage to tell the people the truth. Stop hiding behind closed doors, pretending this body is working for the good of Maui, when inaction only serves special interests—not the residents who call this island home.
Bill 9 is not anti-tourism; it is pro-resident, pro-community, and consistent with the law. By approving Bill 9, the Council will:
✅ Enforce zoning’s original purpose.
✅ Reclaim thousands of units for residents.
✅ Restore public trust after decades of investor favoritism.
✅ Demonstrate leadership after the tragic failures exposed by the August 2023 fires.
Approve Bill 9. The people of Maui deserve a government that serves them—not speculative profit.
1980
• Ordinance 1134 introduces Maui County’s zoning code; STVRs defined for properties under 30 days in “multi-unit” buildings—permitting TVRs in Apartment Districts .
1989
• Ordinance 1797 amends § 19.12.010(C): mandates long-term residential occupancy in A‑1/A‑2 zones (min. 6 months/year), with a pre‑existing use exemption for structures approved before April 20, 1989 .
1991
• Ordinance 1989 further restricts TVRs in Apartment Districts—ending explicit permissiveness .
2001
• Deputy Corporation Counsel Richard Minatoya issues legal memo clarifying that condo units with permits, SMA use approvals, or STR operations in Apartment Districts as of April 1989 or March 1991 may continue. This gives birth to the “Minatoya Exemption” and the “Minatoya List” of legal STVRs in A‑1/A‑2 .
2014
• Ordinance 4167 codifies the Minatoya Exemption into § 19.12.020(g), formally allowing pre‑1989 A‑1/A‑2 units to operate STVRs despite residential zoning intent ().
2020–2023
• Additional regulations enacted (Ords. 5126, 5301, 5473, 5502) tightening qualification for Minatoya Exemption—but maintaining its core allowances .
May 2–3, 2024
• Gov. Green signs SB 2919, empowering counties to regulate STRs.
• Mayor Bissen and Councilmember Rawlins‑Fernandez introduce a bill to phase out Minatoya STVRs: 2,200 units in West Maui by July 1, 2025; remainder by Jan 1, 2026 .
June 2024
• Maui, Molokaʻi, and Lānaʻi Planning Commissions hold hearings and unanimously recommend phase‑out to the County Council .
June 9, 2025
• Housing & Land Use Committee holds over 5 hours of public testimony; no vote taken. Debate continues on economic impact and possible rezoning amendments .
July 2025
• HLU Chair Kama recesses proceedings until July 23 for in-depth committee deliberations.
⸻
📌 Why This Timeline Matters
• A‑1 and A‑2 zones were originally intended for long-term residential use, not visitor accommodations.
• The Minatoya Exemption, intended as a limited fix to legal ambiguity, has been weaponized into a permanent loophole—transforming entire apartment complexes into hotels.
• The phase-out timeline set by Bill 9 (West Maui by July 2025; rest of county by Jan 2026) is a measured, legally supported effort to realign land use with zoning intent and public welfare.
Bill 9 is about putting families before profit, residents before investors, and safety before speculation. The wildfires already showed us what failing to act looks like—and it cost billions and lives. Nothing Bill 9 does can match that scale of damage—but failing to pass it could.
Some say PROPERTY RIGHTS should come before all else. That if you OWN it, you can DO WHATEVER YOU WANT with it—even in the middle of a housing emergency. But that belief—unchecked—is exactly what turned the Lahaina fire from a NATURAL DISASTER into a HUMANITARIAN FAILURE. Property rights are not absolute. They exist within a SOCIAL CONTRACT. They are subject to PUBLIC TRUST. And when thousands of MAUI RESIDENTS are homeless or displaced, while investors run SHORT-TERM RENTALS in zones intended for COMMUNITY HOUSING, the law must INTERVENE.
The Constitution does not protect PROFITS OVER PEOPLE. The COUNTY has both the DUTY and the AUTHORITY to regulate land use in the interest of PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY, and WELFARE. That is what Bill 9 does. It reaffirms that APARTMENT DISTRICT zoning—A-1 and A-2—is for RESIDENTIAL USE, not commercial exploitation. It says: when our community suffers, we don’t double down on extraction—we protect the land FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE.
If you believe that “property rights” mean the freedom to evict locals to host tourists, or to hold housing hostage in the middle of a DISASTER, then you’re not defending liberty—you’re defending ENTITLEMENT. That’s not FREEDOM. That’s FEUDALISM. And it’s exactly the mentality that left our kūpuna and families to sleep in cars, hotel rooms, and shelters—while hundreds of units sat vacant or were listed online for vacationers.
BILL 9 is not an attack on ownership. It is a DEFENSE OF DIGNITY. It says: you can invest here, but you cannot displace us. You can buy property, but you cannot commodify a CRISIS. We cannot keep sacrificing housing to the highest bidder, then pretend we have no responsibility when people suffer.
The fire exposed what happens when we put PRIVILEGE over PREPARATION. This law is how we fix it. If you oppose Bill 9, ask yourself: what’s more valuable—your RENTAL INCOME or your NEIGHBOR’S LIFE?
MAUI DESERVES BETTER. THE TIME TO CHOOSE PEOPLE OVER PROFIT IS NOW.
Please pass Bill 9. Protect zoning integrity. Support long-term housing. Stand with the people who actually live, vote, and raise families on this island.
I strongly support Bill 9 because it corrects a long-standing misuse of Apartment District zoning in Maui County and returns these properties to their intended purpose: long-term housing for residents. The A-1 and A-2 zones were never created to support commercial hotel operations. The Minatoya Exemption was a temporary political compromise—not a permanent entitlement. It is completely reasonable and lawful for the County to bring this use back into alignment with zoning laws that were always intended to serve the community first.
Opponents claim that over 3,000 testimonies were submitted in opposition to Bill 9, as if that number proves the bill is wrong. But Maui has over 115,000 registered voters. That means opposition testimony represents less than 3% of the voting population. And of those who submitted opposition, many are non-resident property owners—people who do not vote in Hawai‘i, do not pay income taxes here, and have no long-term stake in our schools, infrastructure, environment, or community life. Their interest is purely financial. They bought real estate in a speculative market based on short-term rental profits, and now that loophole is closing.
It’s important to be honest about this: the loudest opposition is being driven by people who are trying to protect investment returns—not residents trying to raise families or find stable housing. Many don’t live here, don’t vote here, and won’t suffer the long-term consequences of over-tourism, housing scarcity, and rising costs. They benefited from a zoning loophole, and now they want to claim victimhood as that loophole is closed. That’s not injustice—that’s market correction.
There’s also a disturbing racial undertone in some opposition rhetoric. We’ve seen letters and public comments claiming this bill “targets white mainlanders” or that the County is “wiping out white wealth.” That is false and dangerous. This bill is about land use, not race. No one is being targeted for who they are—only for how they’ve been using a property in violation of the spirit (and increasingly the letter) of zoning laws. The attempt to racialize this issue is designed to distract, divide, and inflame a local population that has already suffered greatly from displacement and economic pressure. There is no place for that here. Using race as a shield for commercial misuse is shameful. It is not Aloha. It is not pono.
Supporters of STRs argue that Bill 9 won’t lead to housing for locals, that values have dropped, and that properties are sitting on the market. But these are the results of a market cooling off after years of artificial inflation by STR income potential. Prices falling and days on market increasing means these properties are finally coming within reach for local buyers or long-term renters. That’s how land use regulation is supposed to work. The goal of zoning is not to protect investor profits—it is to create orderly, equitable, and community-serving land use.
Some opponents point out that these properties are located in resort areas like Wailea and Kāʻanapali and claim that makes STR use appropriate. But zoning is zoning. Apartment-zoned buildings are not hotel properties, no matter how close they are to resorts. If we allow illegal or non-conforming uses just because of location, then we no longer have zoning—we have chaos and favoritism.
The County’s responsibility is not to maximize speculative real estate profits but to preserve the livability of Maui for the people who live here. If some owners lose profit potential because they can no longer operate a nightly rental business in an apartment zone, that is not a tragedy. That is the price of doing business within the law. No one guaranteed them permanent STR income, and the County is under no obligation to subsidize those expectations—especially not when they come at the direct expense of housing for working families.
Bill 9 will also help rebalance our economy. Short-term rentals have made us more dependent on tourism than ever. They drive up infrastructure costs, increase traffic, inflate housing prices, and strain our environment. Every STR removed from an apartment zone is one step toward reducing that pressure and returning to a more balanced and resilient island economy.
Let’s also be clear: the so-called “majority” opposing this bill is not the majority of Maui voters, taxpayers, or residents. It is a well-funded, organized group of property owners fighting to preserve a commercial privilege. They are loud, but they are not the voice of Maui’s people.
To those trying to racialize this issue or divide the community with scare tactics: aloha means goodbye. If your investment model depends on bending land use laws and exploiting local communities, then yes—it’s time to say goodbye to that model. The County is making a moral and legal correction, not an attack.
Please pass Bill 9. Protect zoning integrity. Support long-term housing. Stand with the people who actually live, vote, and raise families on this island.
I, too, support creating truly affordable housing for local residents—but that is not the purpose of Bill 9, and this argument misleads the public. Bill 9 is not an affordable housing bill; it is a land-use correction bill aimed at restoring Apartment District (A-1 and A-2 zoned properties) to their intended residential use. The claim that Bill 9 should be opposed because it “does not create affordable housing” is irrelevant—no zoning enforcement bill can “create” housing; it can only ensure that existing residential-zoned housing is actually used for residential purposes.
1. Humanitarian Impact – Who Is Suffering Now?
Thousands of Maui residents are displaced, overcrowded, and priced out because Apartment District units—originally intended for long-term housing—are being used as short-term vacation rentals (STVRs). Every unit used as a hotel room is one less home for a teacher, nurse, restaurant worker, or kupuna caregiver. The humanitarian crisis is not theoretical; it is happening right now. Bill 9 will not solve all housing issues, but it will stop the hemorrhaging of housing supply in apartment-zoned areas.
2. Tourism Jobs vs. Human Dignity
Opponents argue that Bill 9 will “destroy tourism jobs.” But no ethical or sustainable economy should be built on the forced displacement of local families just to house visitors. Prioritizing speculative investor ROI and transient visitors over Maui’s working families is neither humanitarian nor pono. Moreover, tourism is already saturated and unstable, as the post-Lāhainā fire economy demonstrated—Maui’s long-term economic health depends on a diversified, resident-centered workforce, not further dependence on short-term rental economies.
3. The “Properties Are Not Conducive to Family Living” Argument Is a Red Herring
The claim that units on the Minatoya List are “not conducive to family living” because of high HOAs, limited parking, or no playgrounds is misleading for several reasons:
• Local residents are already living in these same types of apartments across Maui—in Kihei, Kahului, and Wailuku—despite high HOAs and limited space.
• Not every resident in need of housing is a family with children; single workers, retirees, and couples need housing too.
• If these units are unsuitable for families, why are they suitable for tourists? They are zoned for apartments, not hotels.
4. “Locals Will Lose Jobs” – Misstated Economic Reality
Opponents assume that residents in need of housing all depend on tourism. In reality, many displaced workers leave Maui altogether because they cannot find housing. A thriving economy needs a stable resident workforce—teachers, healthcare workers, police officers—not just housekeepers and tour operators. Long-term housing stability strengthens local businesses far more sustainably than speculative tourism-based economies.
5. The County’s Failure on Affordable Housing Is Not an Excuse for Inaction
Yes, the County has failed for decades to build affordable housing. But that failure does not justify continuing to allow apartment-zoned housing to be used as de facto hotels. Restoring these units to their intended residential use is a necessary first step to stabilizing the housing crisis while long-term affordable housing projects are developed.
I am in favor of creating affordable housing for local residents. Bill 9 does not create "affordable housing". The loss of tourism, the income that tourism brings, not to mention the thousands of jobs that tourism brings... Bill 9 will destroy our already struggling Maui economy. The local residents cannot support the small restaurants, small stores, tour companies, housekeepers, management companies, drivers, etc... I am very familiar with the properties on the Minatoya List, many of them are not conducive to family living, as they have no storage, only 1 parking stall, no street parking, no place for Keiki to play, the HOA's average at $1000 per month and most do not allow pets.
The local residents in need of housing currently will most likely not have a job if Bill 9 passes, as most jobs are directly or indirectly affected by tourists or owners of properties listed on the Minatoya List.
The County has dropped the ball for decades on Affordable Housing, it's time for them to focus on creating housing & communities for the local residents. Bill 9 is not what's needed, it does NOT create affordable housing.
Aloha Chair and Members of the Council,
I am writing in strong support of Bill 9 because it restores the original intent of Maui’s Apartment District (A-1 and A-2 zoned properties): housing for residents, not hotel operations disguised as apartments.
Opponents of Bill 9 make several claims that deserve clarification:
⸻
1. “Bill 9 targets legally operating short-term rentals that contribute positively to the community.”
While these rentals are technically legal under the Minatoya Exemption, that exemption was a temporary grandfathering measure, never meant to permanently convert residential-zoned apartments into transient hotels. Compliance with outdated rules does not erase the fact that these units are urgently needed for Maui families, disaster survivors, and displaced fire victims. Continuing to operate them as vacation rentals during a declared housing emergency undermines humanitarian relief efforts and prolongs suffering for those forced to live in cars, tents, or temporary shelters.
⸻
2. “Short-term rentals create jobs, use local services, and generate tax revenue.”
Yes, STRs generate some revenue, but no amount of TAT or property tax can replace lost homes. This revenue does not feed displaced families or shelter kūpuna sleeping in hotel rooms months after the fires. Meanwhile, the social cost—inflated housing prices, mass displacement, and loss of long-term rental stock—is borne by local residents, not STR operators. Redirecting apartment units back into the housing market is not just economic policy; it is humanitarian relief.
⸻
3. “Bill 9 abruptly removes long-standing legal uses without a practical path forward.”
Bill 9 provides a reasonable phase-out period (18 months to 3 years)—hardly abrupt when weighed against the urgency of our crisis. Every month we delay means more fire survivors and working families remain homeless while visitors sleep in apartment buildings designed for residents. The County has both the legal right and the moral obligation to act decisively during this emergency.
⸻
4. “The Council should focus on illegal rentals instead of banning legal ones.”
Enforcing against illegal operators is essential, but legal STRs in the Apartment District are a major driver of the problem. Whole apartment complexes have been converted into de facto hotels. These are precisely the types of units that humanitarian relief organizations and the Red Cross have been begging for to house fire survivors. Leaving them in the tourist market is unacceptable when our own residents are in crisis.
⸻
5. “Bill 9 will harm small businesses and workers.”
The disruption to STR-related businesses is real, but the humanitarian crisis is far greater. We cannot prioritize maid service for tourists over shelter for fire-displaced families. Many STR workers can transition into the housing, construction, and recovery sectors, which need labor to rebuild homes and infrastructure.
⸻
Conclusion
Bill 9 is not just a zoning adjustment; it is a humanitarian measure. It will:
✅ Free up critically needed housing for displaced Maui residents and fire victims.
✅ Reduce overpopulation and car saturation in disaster-affected areas, improving emergency response capacity.
✅ Restore the Apartment District to its intended purpose—housing for people, not tourists.
Maui is still recovering from the Lāhainā fire and facing the worst housing crisis in its history. Continuing to allow tourist rentals in these apartments while thousands of our residents remain unhoused is not just bad policy—it is a moral failure.
I strongly urge you to advance Bill 9 and put the people of Maui first.
Mahalo for your time and leadership.
The Mayor created Bill 9 because after the fires, thousands of Maui residents were homeless while long-term housing sat vacant as STVRs in A-1 and A-2 zones. Even with state tax breaks, extra high rents these units remained empty locked away for tourists. If the County government can’t pass this basic HUMANITARIAN AID for fire victims—on their own island, from the very people who elected them—then who are they really serving?
Residents are desperate for housing relief, 2 years later, Maui’s HUMANITARIAN AID sits on a desk because councilmembers won’t do their jobs.
Bill 9 is HUMANITARIAN AID. It is relief from the fires, from displacement, and from the ongoing housing emergency that has forced Maui families out of their own island. Returning Apartment District (A-1 and A-2) units to residents is not just zoning—it is immediate HUMANITARIAN relief for people who lost homes, jobs, and stability after the Lāhainā disaster. It is shameful that so many Councilmembers show more concern for condo values and vacation rental profits than for their own neighbors. Bill 9 is not about politics; it is about putting residents first when they need it most.
Under Alice Lee’s watch, Maui went from a remote island paradise to an overcrowded, wildfire-prone playground for tourists.
In an email sent from the Maui County Council, Alice Lee wrote: ‘I support the goal of creating more workforce housing for kamaʻāina. However, I also recognize the economic impacts this phase-out may have on families, jobs, and local businesses that rely on visitor spending.’
When a politician delays humanitarian housing relief to protect condo values and vacation rental profits, that’s not leadership—that’s a detour to corruption. Bill 9 is the test, and Alice Lee is failing.
Alice Lee claims to support workforce housing, but her indecision hands Maui’s future to speculators. Pass Bill 9 now or admit you stand with investors, not residents.
If you care about kamaʻāina housing, you vote yes. If you care about visitor dollars, you stall. Bill 9 will show Maui exactly who you serve.
Pass it or kill it—but stop pretending to care about housing, water, infrastructure, public safety, zoning, planning, permitting, and the many other departments of Maui County.
If this Council is too compromised or unwilling to move Bill 9 forward, then at least have the courage to tell the people the truth. Stop hiding behind closed doors, pretending this body is working for the good of Maui, when inaction only serves special interests—not the residents who call this island home.
Bill 9 is not anti-tourism; it is pro-resident, pro-community, and consistent with the law. By approving Bill 9, the Council will:
✅ Enforce zoning’s original purpose.
✅ Reclaim thousands of units for residents.
✅ Restore public trust after decades of investor favoritism.
✅ Demonstrate leadership after the tragic failures exposed by the August 2023 fires.
Approve Bill 9. The people of Maui deserve a government that serves them—not speculative profit.
please pass this bill.
STVR Invasion of A‑1/A‑2 Apartment Districts
1980
• Ordinance 1134 introduces Maui County’s zoning code; STVRs defined for properties under 30 days in “multi-unit” buildings—permitting TVRs in Apartment Districts .
1989
• Ordinance 1797 amends § 19.12.010(C): mandates long-term residential occupancy in A‑1/A‑2 zones (min. 6 months/year), with a pre‑existing use exemption for structures approved before April 20, 1989 .
1991
• Ordinance 1989 further restricts TVRs in Apartment Districts—ending explicit permissiveness .
2001
• Deputy Corporation Counsel Richard Minatoya issues legal memo clarifying that condo units with permits, SMA use approvals, or STR operations in Apartment Districts as of April 1989 or March 1991 may continue. This gives birth to the “Minatoya Exemption” and the “Minatoya List” of legal STVRs in A‑1/A‑2 .
2014
• Ordinance 4167 codifies the Minatoya Exemption into § 19.12.020(g), formally allowing pre‑1989 A‑1/A‑2 units to operate STVRs despite residential zoning intent ().
2020–2023
• Additional regulations enacted (Ords. 5126, 5301, 5473, 5502) tightening qualification for Minatoya Exemption—but maintaining its core allowances .
May 2–3, 2024
• Gov. Green signs SB 2919, empowering counties to regulate STRs.
• Mayor Bissen and Councilmember Rawlins‑Fernandez introduce a bill to phase out Minatoya STVRs: 2,200 units in West Maui by July 1, 2025; remainder by Jan 1, 2026 .
June 2024
• Maui, Molokaʻi, and Lānaʻi Planning Commissions hold hearings and unanimously recommend phase‑out to the County Council .
June 9, 2025
• Housing & Land Use Committee holds over 5 hours of public testimony; no vote taken. Debate continues on economic impact and possible rezoning amendments .
July 2025
• HLU Chair Kama recesses proceedings until July 23 for in-depth committee deliberations.
⸻
📌 Why This Timeline Matters
• A‑1 and A‑2 zones were originally intended for long-term residential use, not visitor accommodations.
• The Minatoya Exemption, intended as a limited fix to legal ambiguity, has been weaponized into a permanent loophole—transforming entire apartment complexes into hotels.
• The phase-out timeline set by Bill 9 (West Maui by July 2025; rest of county by Jan 2026) is a measured, legally supported effort to realign land use with zoning intent and public welfare.
Bill 9 is about putting families before profit, residents before investors, and safety before speculation. The wildfires already showed us what failing to act looks like—and it cost billions and lives. Nothing Bill 9 does can match that scale of damage—but failing to pass it could.
Some say PROPERTY RIGHTS should come before all else. That if you OWN it, you can DO WHATEVER YOU WANT with it—even in the middle of a housing emergency. But that belief—unchecked—is exactly what turned the Lahaina fire from a NATURAL DISASTER into a HUMANITARIAN FAILURE. Property rights are not absolute. They exist within a SOCIAL CONTRACT. They are subject to PUBLIC TRUST. And when thousands of MAUI RESIDENTS are homeless or displaced, while investors run SHORT-TERM RENTALS in zones intended for COMMUNITY HOUSING, the law must INTERVENE.
The Constitution does not protect PROFITS OVER PEOPLE. The COUNTY has both the DUTY and the AUTHORITY to regulate land use in the interest of PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY, and WELFARE. That is what Bill 9 does. It reaffirms that APARTMENT DISTRICT zoning—A-1 and A-2—is for RESIDENTIAL USE, not commercial exploitation. It says: when our community suffers, we don’t double down on extraction—we protect the land FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE.
If you believe that “property rights” mean the freedom to evict locals to host tourists, or to hold housing hostage in the middle of a DISASTER, then you’re not defending liberty—you’re defending ENTITLEMENT. That’s not FREEDOM. That’s FEUDALISM. And it’s exactly the mentality that left our kūpuna and families to sleep in cars, hotel rooms, and shelters—while hundreds of units sat vacant or were listed online for vacationers.
BILL 9 is not an attack on ownership. It is a DEFENSE OF DIGNITY. It says: you can invest here, but you cannot displace us. You can buy property, but you cannot commodify a CRISIS. We cannot keep sacrificing housing to the highest bidder, then pretend we have no responsibility when people suffer.
The fire exposed what happens when we put PRIVILEGE over PREPARATION. This law is how we fix it. If you oppose Bill 9, ask yourself: what’s more valuable—your RENTAL INCOME or your NEIGHBOR’S LIFE?
MAUI DESERVES BETTER. THE TIME TO CHOOSE PEOPLE OVER PROFIT IS NOW.
Laura Dejardine
Please pass this bill
Please pass Bill 9. Protect zoning integrity. Support long-term housing. Stand with the people who actually live, vote, and raise families on this island.
Aloha Chair and Councilmembers,
I strongly support Bill 9 because it corrects a long-standing misuse of Apartment District zoning in Maui County and returns these properties to their intended purpose: long-term housing for residents. The A-1 and A-2 zones were never created to support commercial hotel operations. The Minatoya Exemption was a temporary political compromise—not a permanent entitlement. It is completely reasonable and lawful for the County to bring this use back into alignment with zoning laws that were always intended to serve the community first.
Opponents claim that over 3,000 testimonies were submitted in opposition to Bill 9, as if that number proves the bill is wrong. But Maui has over 115,000 registered voters. That means opposition testimony represents less than 3% of the voting population. And of those who submitted opposition, many are non-resident property owners—people who do not vote in Hawai‘i, do not pay income taxes here, and have no long-term stake in our schools, infrastructure, environment, or community life. Their interest is purely financial. They bought real estate in a speculative market based on short-term rental profits, and now that loophole is closing.
It’s important to be honest about this: the loudest opposition is being driven by people who are trying to protect investment returns—not residents trying to raise families or find stable housing. Many don’t live here, don’t vote here, and won’t suffer the long-term consequences of over-tourism, housing scarcity, and rising costs. They benefited from a zoning loophole, and now they want to claim victimhood as that loophole is closed. That’s not injustice—that’s market correction.
There’s also a disturbing racial undertone in some opposition rhetoric. We’ve seen letters and public comments claiming this bill “targets white mainlanders” or that the County is “wiping out white wealth.” That is false and dangerous. This bill is about land use, not race. No one is being targeted for who they are—only for how they’ve been using a property in violation of the spirit (and increasingly the letter) of zoning laws. The attempt to racialize this issue is designed to distract, divide, and inflame a local population that has already suffered greatly from displacement and economic pressure. There is no place for that here. Using race as a shield for commercial misuse is shameful. It is not Aloha. It is not pono.
Supporters of STRs argue that Bill 9 won’t lead to housing for locals, that values have dropped, and that properties are sitting on the market. But these are the results of a market cooling off after years of artificial inflation by STR income potential. Prices falling and days on market increasing means these properties are finally coming within reach for local buyers or long-term renters. That’s how land use regulation is supposed to work. The goal of zoning is not to protect investor profits—it is to create orderly, equitable, and community-serving land use.
Some opponents point out that these properties are located in resort areas like Wailea and Kāʻanapali and claim that makes STR use appropriate. But zoning is zoning. Apartment-zoned buildings are not hotel properties, no matter how close they are to resorts. If we allow illegal or non-conforming uses just because of location, then we no longer have zoning—we have chaos and favoritism.
The County’s responsibility is not to maximize speculative real estate profits but to preserve the livability of Maui for the people who live here. If some owners lose profit potential because they can no longer operate a nightly rental business in an apartment zone, that is not a tragedy. That is the price of doing business within the law. No one guaranteed them permanent STR income, and the County is under no obligation to subsidize those expectations—especially not when they come at the direct expense of housing for working families.
Bill 9 will also help rebalance our economy. Short-term rentals have made us more dependent on tourism than ever. They drive up infrastructure costs, increase traffic, inflate housing prices, and strain our environment. Every STR removed from an apartment zone is one step toward reducing that pressure and returning to a more balanced and resilient island economy.
Let’s also be clear: the so-called “majority” opposing this bill is not the majority of Maui voters, taxpayers, or residents. It is a well-funded, organized group of property owners fighting to preserve a commercial privilege. They are loud, but they are not the voice of Maui’s people.
To those trying to racialize this issue or divide the community with scare tactics: aloha means goodbye. If your investment model depends on bending land use laws and exploiting local communities, then yes—it’s time to say goodbye to that model. The County is making a moral and legal correction, not an attack.
Please pass Bill 9. Protect zoning integrity. Support long-term housing. Stand with the people who actually live, vote, and raise families on this island.
Mahalo.
Brandon Perreira
Makawao Resident