HONOLULU (KHON2) — The conversation continues on the bill targeted to turn vacation rentals into long-term housing for Maui residents.
The Maui County Council members met today to discuss the rising concerns about balancing housing stability and economic sustainability.
Bill 9 removes exemptions for buildings built or approved before 1989 to continue operating as Transient Vacation Rentals, also known as TVRs, as a lawful non-conforming or vested use.
The Minatoya list is affected by this bill since it targets Apartment Districts across the county that are currently operating as TVRs — these areas include Molokai, Hana, south and west Maui.
Maui Mayor Richard Bissen introduced the bill a year ago after the Lahaina fire brought the housing crisis to the forefront.
“As mayor, my responsibility is always to put our residents first,” Bissen said. “Housing isn’t a speculative asset, it is a basic human need and when the balance tips so far that our residents become outsiders in their own neighborhoods, we have an obligation to act.”
The University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization report found that even with a 25% decrease in housing prices for the units, 80% of Maui’s population would still find them unaffordable.
“Can we truly say we are thriving if our own people are being priced out of our own community?” Bissen said.
UHERO reports also found that the loss of the visitor accommodations would show a direct decline in tourists, causing a disturbance in the county’s economy. They discovered that between 1,900 and 3,800 positions would be lost depending on the severity of the tourism decline.
Previous public testimony on this bill revealed a community divided on the topic. Debates between local residents and Lahaina survivors with short-term rental owners and managers caused friction.