Hawaii Supreme Court Approves $222M Attorney Fees in Maui Fire Settlement
The Hawaii Supreme Court has allowed lawyers to retain $222 million in fees from the Maui wildfire settlement. Separately, a Pew Charitable Trust study identifies Hawaii as one of nine states where high housing costs significantly drive poverty rates. The Hawaii Supreme Court upheld $222 million in attorney fees tied to the 2023 Maui wildfire […]
Maui’s Workforce Housing Code Called Ineffective, Reform Urged
A Maui News opinion piece argues that Maui County’s workforce housing ordinance has structural loopholes that allow developers to avoid building any affordable units within a given community plan area. The county faces a shortfall of nearly 10,000 affordable units with no clear path to meeting the goal. Maui County needs an estimated 9,742 new […]
County May Rezone Sea-Level-Risk Condos to Keep Vacation Rentals Operating
Maui County is considering a resolution that would initiate rezoning of coastal condos within the Sea Level Rise Exposure Area to hotel zoning, potentially allowing them to continue operating as vacation rentals despite Bill 9’s phaseout timeline. The sea-level-rise designation complicates earlier plans to convert these apartment-zoned properties to resident housing. Resolution 26-129 would direct […]
Hawaii Airport Chief Charged in Corruption Case Tied to Contract Bribes
Hawaii’s state airports administrator Ford Fuchigami faces corruption charges tied to a years-long pattern of airport contracts allegedly steered to political donors. A 2024 investigation found over $131 million in consulting contracts linked to officials who attended clandestine fundraisers. State airports administrator Ford Fuchigami is on leave and facing corruption charges alongside lobbyist Tobi Solidum […]
Three Years After Lahaina Fire, Commercial Rebuilding Lags Far Behind
Multiple sources, citing Grassroot Institute of Hawaii analyst Jonathan Helton, report that Lahaina’s recovery remains severely limited three years after the August 2023 wildfires. While roughly 220 homes have been rebuilt, non-residential and multifamily reconstruction has barely begun, with only 13 completed non-residential permits and fewer than 30 issued in total. The August 8, 2023 […]
Judge Caps Maui Fire Attorney Fees; Law Firms Appeal Ruling
A Maui judge limited attorney fees in the Lahaina wildfire settlement to 3–8%, well below the 25% allowed under Hawaii law. Several law firms are appealing, arguing the ruling violates their contracts with clients. Judge Peter Cahill capped attorney fees at 8% for pre-settlement cases and 3% for clients who joined after the settlement was […]
Maui Council Advances Plan to Rezone ~2,056 Vacation Rental Units as Hotels
The Maui County Council voted to advance two resolutions that would move roughly 2,056 vacation rental units into new hotel zoning districts, allowing them to keep operating under Bill 9. The proposals must still pass through the Maui Planning Commission and receive additional approvals before taking effect. Two resolutions (26-110 and 26-111) passed the Council […]
Zoning and Historic Rules Are Stalling Lahaina’s Rebuild, Three Years On
Nearly three years after the 2023 Lahaina wildfires, only 220 homes have been rebuilt and not a single destroyed business has been fully reconstructed. A layered web of historic-preservation, zoning, and land-use regulations is cited as the primary cause of the slow recovery. Of more than 2,200 structures destroyed, only 220 homes have been rebuilt […]
Lahaina Rebuild Stalls: Only 220 Homes Done, Zero Businesses Reopened
Nearly three years after the 2023 Lahaina wildfires, rebuilding remains extremely slow, with only 220 homes completed and no destroyed businesses yet rebuilt. State and county permitting, zoning, and historic-preservation rules are cited as major obstacles. Only 220 houses have been rebuilt in Lahaina, with many vacant lots still remaining nearly three years after the […]
Lawsuit Seeks to Block Law Streamlining Lahaina Rebuild Permits
Environmental nonprofit Maui Tomorrow Foundation has sued to invalidate Act 070, a state law that exempts many Lahaina reconstruction projects from Special Management Area permit requirements. The law was specifically crafted to accelerate rebuilding in coastal areas of Maui County after the 2023 wildfire. Maui Tomorrow Foundation filed suit alleging Act 070, signed by Gov. […]