HLU-4 Bill 9 (2025) BILL 9 (2025), AMENDING CHAPTERS 19.12, 19.32, AND 19.37, MAUI COUNTY CODE, RELATING TO TRANSIENT VACATION RENTALS IN APARTMENT DISTRICTS (HLU-4)
Any councilmember who cannot support Bill 9 is signaling that investor profits matter more than residents’ survival. If that’s your stance, have the integrity to resign rather than block real solutions. Maui deserves leaders, not gatekeepers for speculative interests
I strongly support Bill 9 because it is the most cost-effective, fair, and logical way to return much-needed housing to Maui residents.
Opponents have suggested using affordable housing funds to purchase short-term vacation rentals in the Apartment District, specifically zoned A-1 and A-2, to convert them into affordable housing. At first glance, this might sound reasonable, but it is fundamentally flawed for seven key reasons:
1. It’s Not Free Market Economics.
A true free market relies on private transactions based on supply and demand, not taxpayer-funded buyouts. Using public money to purchase private investor properties is not free-market policy—it’s government intervention designed to rescue investors from a declining market.
2. It Burdens Taxpayers.
Affordable housing funds come from the people of Maui. Spending millions to buy STVRs, even at a “discount,” is essentially a taxpayer-funded bailout for speculative investors who overpaid for vacation rentals.
3. It Wastes Limited Housing Funds.
Maui’s affordable housing funds are limited. One $800,000 condo purchase could instead build four to six affordable housing units elsewhere. Bill 9 achieves the same result—returning these units to the housing pool—without spending a dime of public money.
4. It Fails to Address the Root Problem.
Purchasing a handful of properties does nothing to stop the ongoing cycle of speculative investment. Bill 9, on the other hand, permanently corrects the misuse of the Apartment District by restoring its intended residential purpose.
5. It Creates a Government Landlord Problem.
The County should not be forced to manage scattered condo units as a landlord. Historically, County-managed housing is slower, more expensive, and less efficient than privately managed residential rentals.
6. It Overpays for Vacation Condos Not Suited for Residents.
Prices in A-1 and A-2 zones remain inflated by speculative demand, even if they’ve “fallen.” Most of these units are not designed for local family living, and purchasing them for affordable housing would be an inefficient use of funds.
7. It Protects Investor ROI, Not Residents.
The only real beneficiaries of this buyout scheme are STVR investors looking to cash out. Bill 9 protects residents, not investors, by simply enforcing zoning and returning housing to its intended purpose.
For these reasons, Bill 9 is the smarter, faster, and more fiscally responsible solution. It restores hundreds of units to long-term housing immediately, without draining taxpayer resources, and it corrects years of speculative misuse of the Apartment District.
Use the affordable housing funds to purchase or subsidize purchase of these. Check the MLS listings, find ones in the A1/A2 districts and purchase them at a discounted price as prices have fallen. Just like you did with the old Haggi Institute. Then the county will own them and keep them in the affordable housing pool. That is how a free market economy works.
True professionals—those with ethics and respect for this community—should support Bill 9 and help implement it responsibly. Those who oppose it should be honest with the public: they are not fighting for Maui’s future; they are fighting against it.
Bill 9 is humanitarian relief for Maui. It’s about getting housing back into the hands of residents who need it most—families displaced by wildfire, workers priced out of their own neighborhoods, and kūpuna struggling to survive.
So why are some realtors, property managers, and cleaning contractors fighting it? Because Bill 9 threatens their profits. And now they’re crossing the line by telling clients and condo associations to sue the County—a move that isn’t just unethical, it’s potentially criminal.
Bill 9 is HUMANITARIAN AID—not just policy, not just zoning reform, but direct disaster relief for Maui families displaced by the Lāhainā fires and a worsening housing emergency. Mayor Richard Bissen introduced Bill 9 as an emergency measure because thousands of long-term units remain locked up as short-term vacation rentals (STVRs) in A-1 and A-2 zoned properties, even as families live in cars, tents, and overcrowded shelters.
⸻
What Humanitarian Aid Means
The United Nations defines humanitarian aid as:
“Material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes, typically in response to natural disasters or other emergencies, with the primary objective of saving lives, alleviating suffering, and maintaining human dignity.”
The Lāhainā fires displaced thousands. Housing is as essential to survival as food or medical care in a disaster. Humanitarian aid includes shelter relief and housing stability—precisely what Bill 9 delivers.
⸻
Why Bill 9 Qualifies as Humanitarian Aid
✅ Disaster Relief: It directly responds to the fire disaster by making vacant units available to residents.
✅ Immediate Action: It reclaims thousands of long-term housing units, providing relief now, not years later.
✅ Alleviating Suffering: It reduces overinflated rents and eases overcrowding for displaced families.
✅ Restoring Dignity: It gives residents a chance to live safely on their own island, rather than being pushed out for tourist profits.
✅ Legal Obligation: The Hawaiʻi State Constitution requires government to act for public welfare—housing is fundamental to that duty.
⸻
Council’s Responsibility
Mayor Bissen has done his part by proposing this HUMANITARIAN AID. The Council’s responsibility is not to protect condo values, inflated rents, or investor profits—it is to protect the people who elected them. Every day of delay is another day fire victims and displaced families go without homes, while thousands of units sit empty for tourists.
⸻
Conclusion
Bill 9 is not politics—it is survival. It is the most immediate HUMANITARIAN RELIEF Maui can deliver to its own people after disaster. If our elected officials cannot pass basic humanitarian aid for their neighbors in crisis, then they have failed in their most fundamental duty to serve.
From: Kat Zerb <kathyzerbib@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2025 6:13 PM
To: HLU Committee <HLU.Committee@mauicounty.us>
Subject: Opposition to Bill 9
Dear Chair and Committee Members,
Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony. I am writing to express my strong opposition to Bill 9, which proposes phasing out legally operating short-term rentals in apartment-zoned areas.
As a permitted short-term rental operator in Maui County, I’ve worked hard to comply with all regulations and contribute positively to the community. My operations support local jobs, rely on local services, and generate significant tax revenue that benefits the county.
Bill 9, as currently written, would abruptly remove long-standing legal uses without offering a clear or practical path forward. This would not only disrupt stable, law-abiding rental operations but also have a ripple effect on small businesses and workers who depend on this industry.
Rather than eliminating legal rentals entirely, I urge the Council to consider balanced solutions (such as stricter enforcement of illegal operations, voluntary conversion incentives, and reasonable caps) to help achieve housing goals without unintended harm.
Please do not advance Bill 9 in its current form. I appreciate your time and commitment, and I hope we can work toward effective, collaborative approaches for the benefit of all Maui County.
Sincerely,
Jean-Paul Zerbib
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.
Alice Lee claims to want ‘workforce housing for kamaʻāina,’ yet she’s stalling Bill 9 over ‘economic impacts’ to the vacation rental industry. How many Maui families have to be priced out before she sees this isn’t about cleaning jobs—it’s about survival?
Alice Lee hides behind ‘legal questions’ and ‘property rights,’ but the real issue is simple: housing for residents is a moral obligation, not a corporate investment opportunity.
Any councilmember who cannot support Bill 9 is signaling that investor profits matter more than residents’ survival. If that’s your stance, have the integrity to resign rather than block real solutions. Maui deserves leaders, not gatekeepers for speculative interests
101 lives lost in Lahaina, and we’re still prioritizing vacation rentals over residents?
Stan Franco, he explained to you what to do
Aloha Chair and Councilmembers,
I strongly support Bill 9 because it is the most cost-effective, fair, and logical way to return much-needed housing to Maui residents.
Opponents have suggested using affordable housing funds to purchase short-term vacation rentals in the Apartment District, specifically zoned A-1 and A-2, to convert them into affordable housing. At first glance, this might sound reasonable, but it is fundamentally flawed for seven key reasons:
1. It’s Not Free Market Economics.
A true free market relies on private transactions based on supply and demand, not taxpayer-funded buyouts. Using public money to purchase private investor properties is not free-market policy—it’s government intervention designed to rescue investors from a declining market.
2. It Burdens Taxpayers.
Affordable housing funds come from the people of Maui. Spending millions to buy STVRs, even at a “discount,” is essentially a taxpayer-funded bailout for speculative investors who overpaid for vacation rentals.
3. It Wastes Limited Housing Funds.
Maui’s affordable housing funds are limited. One $800,000 condo purchase could instead build four to six affordable housing units elsewhere. Bill 9 achieves the same result—returning these units to the housing pool—without spending a dime of public money.
4. It Fails to Address the Root Problem.
Purchasing a handful of properties does nothing to stop the ongoing cycle of speculative investment. Bill 9, on the other hand, permanently corrects the misuse of the Apartment District by restoring its intended residential purpose.
5. It Creates a Government Landlord Problem.
The County should not be forced to manage scattered condo units as a landlord. Historically, County-managed housing is slower, more expensive, and less efficient than privately managed residential rentals.
6. It Overpays for Vacation Condos Not Suited for Residents.
Prices in A-1 and A-2 zones remain inflated by speculative demand, even if they’ve “fallen.” Most of these units are not designed for local family living, and purchasing them for affordable housing would be an inefficient use of funds.
7. It Protects Investor ROI, Not Residents.
The only real beneficiaries of this buyout scheme are STVR investors looking to cash out. Bill 9 protects residents, not investors, by simply enforcing zoning and returning housing to its intended purpose.
For these reasons, Bill 9 is the smarter, faster, and more fiscally responsible solution. It restores hundreds of units to long-term housing immediately, without draining taxpayer resources, and it corrects years of speculative misuse of the Apartment District.
Please pass Bill 9 as written.
Use the affordable housing funds to purchase or subsidize purchase of these. Check the MLS listings, find ones in the A1/A2 districts and purchase them at a discounted price as prices have fallen. Just like you did with the old Haggi Institute. Then the county will own them and keep them in the affordable housing pool. That is how a free market economy works.
What are you waiting for? Move it to the council for deliberation.
True professionals—those with ethics and respect for this community—should support Bill 9 and help implement it responsibly. Those who oppose it should be honest with the public: they are not fighting for Maui’s future; they are fighting against it.
Bill 9 is humanitarian relief for Maui. It’s about getting housing back into the hands of residents who need it most—families displaced by wildfire, workers priced out of their own neighborhoods, and kūpuna struggling to survive.
So why are some realtors, property managers, and cleaning contractors fighting it? Because Bill 9 threatens their profits. And now they’re crossing the line by telling clients and condo associations to sue the County—a move that isn’t just unethical, it’s potentially criminal.
A stable resident workforce generates year-round spending—tourists leave after a week.
Protecting housing for residents is the most basic form of humanitarian aid a county can provide.
Bill 9 is HUMANITARIAN AID—not just policy, not just zoning reform, but direct disaster relief for Maui families displaced by the Lāhainā fires and a worsening housing emergency. Mayor Richard Bissen introduced Bill 9 as an emergency measure because thousands of long-term units remain locked up as short-term vacation rentals (STVRs) in A-1 and A-2 zoned properties, even as families live in cars, tents, and overcrowded shelters.
⸻
What Humanitarian Aid Means
The United Nations defines humanitarian aid as:
“Material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes, typically in response to natural disasters or other emergencies, with the primary objective of saving lives, alleviating suffering, and maintaining human dignity.”
The Lāhainā fires displaced thousands. Housing is as essential to survival as food or medical care in a disaster. Humanitarian aid includes shelter relief and housing stability—precisely what Bill 9 delivers.
⸻
Why Bill 9 Qualifies as Humanitarian Aid
✅ Disaster Relief: It directly responds to the fire disaster by making vacant units available to residents.
✅ Immediate Action: It reclaims thousands of long-term housing units, providing relief now, not years later.
✅ Alleviating Suffering: It reduces overinflated rents and eases overcrowding for displaced families.
✅ Restoring Dignity: It gives residents a chance to live safely on their own island, rather than being pushed out for tourist profits.
✅ Legal Obligation: The Hawaiʻi State Constitution requires government to act for public welfare—housing is fundamental to that duty.
⸻
Council’s Responsibility
Mayor Bissen has done his part by proposing this HUMANITARIAN AID. The Council’s responsibility is not to protect condo values, inflated rents, or investor profits—it is to protect the people who elected them. Every day of delay is another day fire victims and displaced families go without homes, while thousands of units sit empty for tourists.
⸻
Conclusion
Bill 9 is not politics—it is survival. It is the most immediate HUMANITARIAN RELIEF Maui can deliver to its own people after disaster. If our elected officials cannot pass basic humanitarian aid for their neighbors in crisis, then they have failed in their most fundamental duty to serve.
From: Kat Zerb <kathyzerbib@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2025 6:13 PM
To: HLU Committee <HLU.Committee@mauicounty.us>
Subject: Opposition to Bill 9
Dear Chair and Committee Members,
Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony. I am writing to express my strong opposition to Bill 9, which proposes phasing out legally operating short-term rentals in apartment-zoned areas.
As a permitted short-term rental operator in Maui County, I’ve worked hard to comply with all regulations and contribute positively to the community. My operations support local jobs, rely on local services, and generate significant tax revenue that benefits the county.
Bill 9, as currently written, would abruptly remove long-standing legal uses without offering a clear or practical path forward. This would not only disrupt stable, law-abiding rental operations but also have a ripple effect on small businesses and workers who depend on this industry.
Rather than eliminating legal rentals entirely, I urge the Council to consider balanced solutions (such as stricter enforcement of illegal operations, voluntary conversion incentives, and reasonable caps) to help achieve housing goals without unintended harm.
Please do not advance Bill 9 in its current form. I appreciate your time and commitment, and I hope we can work toward effective, collaborative approaches for the benefit of all Maui County.
Sincerely,
Jean-Paul Zerbib
Maui’s voters lost homes in the fires—yet their own elected officials can’t even vote them basic HUMANITARIAN RELIEF.
If councilmembers can’t even pass basic HUMANITARIAN AID in a housing emergency, they shouldn’t call themselves leaders.
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.
Alice Lee claims to want ‘workforce housing for kamaʻāina,’ yet she’s stalling Bill 9 over ‘economic impacts’ to the vacation rental industry. How many Maui families have to be priced out before she sees this isn’t about cleaning jobs—it’s about survival?
Alice Lee hides behind ‘legal questions’ and ‘property rights,’ but the real issue is simple: housing for residents is a moral obligation, not a corporate investment opportunity.
Pass Bill 9 and watch Alice Lee stall out Maui housing again—two years in and still no real leadership
Pass Bill 9 and watch Alice Lee stall out Maui housing again—two years in and still no real leadership
Pass Bill 9 and hand Alice Lee the wheel—let her drive Maui housing off a cliff after nearly two years of refusing to form an opinion.