In transitioning from this morning’s HLU Committee meeting regarding the rezoning of coastal properties from apartment to hotel use to this DRIP Committee meeting regarding the Lahaina Long-Term Recovery Plan and specifically its housing needs, I would like to provide this testimony as a possible solution for the Office of Recovery to explore.
There are approximately 2,000 short-term rental condominium units within the Sea Level Rise Exposure Area (SLR-XA) in West Maui. Because of their location within the SLR-XA, these units are being proposed for rezoning to hotel use. However, I would argue that if these units are not being used for their originally intended purpose, housing for our local workforce and families/ then they should either be demolished, with their water and sewer allocations freed up for new, safe, affordable housing built outside of hazard zones, or acquired by the County or State for limited-time occupancy by residents. As we heard in today’s presentation, the lack of infrastructure is an impediment to developing new housing.
During the last legislative session, Senate Bill 3034, which did not move forward, proposed the voluntary acquisition of vulnerable coastal properties at a hazard-adjusted residual value. That value accounts for the future costs of demolition, hazard remediation, monitoring, and shoreline restoration.
A property could remain occupied temporarily by Maui residents through short-term, renewable leases only while it remains safe. Further expansion, capital investment, and shoreline armoring would be prohibited. When occupancy is no longer safe, the structure would be removed, redevelopment prohibited, and the shoreline restored.
The proposed bill also allows counties, nonprofit organizations, and land trusts to help manage these properties.
Maui County could partner with an organization such as the Lahaina Community Land Trust to acquire properties with some years of safe occupancy remaining and rent the units temporarily to Maui residents. This would provide time-limited housing without misleading local families into investing their life savings in properties with no secure long-term future.
Rental revenue could help fund inspections, management, eventual demolition, and shoreline restoration. This would also interrupt the cycle of continued investment in aging buildings and failing seawalls, followed by demands for emergency permits, public subsidies, and taxpayer-funded cleanup.
I urge this body to begin this discussion and request that the Office of Recovery evaluate this concept as part of its plans for housing in West Maui.
I will also note that the County of Maui’s current Hoʻokumu Hou program, which provides substantial down-payment assistance for fire-affected families purchasing homes, restricts residents from using those funds to purchase shoreline and flood-zone properties. I support that restriction. However, perhaps a County-initiated program based on SB 3034 could instead allow for County or land trust acquisition of these imperiled condominium properties, followed by safe, time-limited occupancy for Maui residents.
Aloha Committee Chair and members,
In transitioning from this morning’s HLU Committee meeting regarding the rezoning of coastal properties from apartment to hotel use to this DRIP Committee meeting regarding the Lahaina Long-Term Recovery Plan and specifically its housing needs, I would like to provide this testimony as a possible solution for the Office of Recovery to explore.
There are approximately 2,000 short-term rental condominium units within the Sea Level Rise Exposure Area (SLR-XA) in West Maui. Because of their location within the SLR-XA, these units are being proposed for rezoning to hotel use. However, I would argue that if these units are not being used for their originally intended purpose, housing for our local workforce and families/ then they should either be demolished, with their water and sewer allocations freed up for new, safe, affordable housing built outside of hazard zones, or acquired by the County or State for limited-time occupancy by residents. As we heard in today’s presentation, the lack of infrastructure is an impediment to developing new housing.
During the last legislative session, Senate Bill 3034, which did not move forward, proposed the voluntary acquisition of vulnerable coastal properties at a hazard-adjusted residual value. That value accounts for the future costs of demolition, hazard remediation, monitoring, and shoreline restoration.
A property could remain occupied temporarily by Maui residents through short-term, renewable leases only while it remains safe. Further expansion, capital investment, and shoreline armoring would be prohibited. When occupancy is no longer safe, the structure would be removed, redevelopment prohibited, and the shoreline restored.
The proposed bill also allows counties, nonprofit organizations, and land trusts to help manage these properties.
Maui County could partner with an organization such as the Lahaina Community Land Trust to acquire properties with some years of safe occupancy remaining and rent the units temporarily to Maui residents. This would provide time-limited housing without misleading local families into investing their life savings in properties with no secure long-term future.
Rental revenue could help fund inspections, management, eventual demolition, and shoreline restoration. This would also interrupt the cycle of continued investment in aging buildings and failing seawalls, followed by demands for emergency permits, public subsidies, and taxpayer-funded cleanup.
I urge this body to begin this discussion and request that the Office of Recovery evaluate this concept as part of its plans for housing in West Maui.
I will also note that the County of Maui’s current Hoʻokumu Hou program, which provides substantial down-payment assistance for fire-affected families purchasing homes, restricts residents from using those funds to purchase shoreline and flood-zone properties. I support that restriction. However, perhaps a County-initiated program based on SB 3034 could instead allow for County or land trust acquisition of these imperiled condominium properties, followed by safe, time-limited occupancy for Maui residents.
Mahalo,
Kai Nishiki
Maui Nui Resiliency Hui