You can only watch injustice go on for so long until you're compelled to say something. To speak out against it. - Macklemore Delay in justice is injustice. - Walter Savage Landor

1. STATE SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS RULING
INVALIDATING KAHOMA VILLAGE PERMIT
With project already built, question centers on how to resolve issues
By Melissa Tanji, The Maui News, June 22, 2021
<https://www.mauinews.com/news/local-news/2021/06/state-supreme-court-upholds-ruling-invalidating-kahoma-village-permit/>
When asked about the fate of the project since the permit has been invalidated, Collins said that
“at this point the plaintiffs would rather have resources devoted to addressing community
concerns as best as possible.”
One way to fix the issues brought up by the case could be to require Kahoma Village to fulfill the
6-acre park that Collins said is a requirement for Lahaina town reflected in the community plan.
Another solution would be to ensure there are affordable units for families to buy, Collins said,
noting public statements Carr made about families losing out on Kahoma Village units during the
pandemic due to the economic fallout.
Collins said there are many fast-track affordable housing projects around the county that have
encountered local families unable to secure financing, leading to no units being sold in the
affordable range. “It is truly regrettable that the full range of choices available to the planning
commission no longer exist,” Collins added. “But there are still many ways that the county can
obtain compliance with the law at this point that address the concerns of the community.”
[Emphasis in Original]
______________________________
HCA PLAN FOR MAUI CALLS FOR 5,000 AFFORDABLE HOMES IN FIVE YEARS
By Maui Now, July 11, 2021
<https://mauinow.com/2021/07/11/hca-delivers-comprehensive-affordable-housing-plan-to-maui-county-council/>
Nonprofit community development organization, Hawaiian Community Assets, has delivered a
Comprehensive Affordable Housing Plan to the Maui County Council that provides a roadmap
for building 5,000 affordable homes for local renters and homebuyers in the next five years.
The plan estimates a need for $380 million in investments by the County in off-site
infrastructure for local communities AND $789 million in housing supports to local
residents as necessary to unlock 39 priority projects that will address the real demand
under for housing under 120% AMI according to the 2019 Hawaii Housing Planning Study.
[Emphasis Supplied]
According to the plan, Maui County's current affordable housing system is not meeting the needs
of Maui County residents. From 2016 to 2020, only 20% of the housing need for local residents
below 140% AMI was met. The majority of rentals built went to households at 50% to 60% AMI
and for-sale homes went to households above 100% AMI, according to the HCA.
“Under the current affordable housing system, there are few tools available to the county to meet
the needs of extremely and very low-income households (below 50% AMI) and low- and
moderate-income households (between 61% and 100% AMI),” the HCA states.
“The current system has segregated affordable housing at two levels. We leave those renters
below 50% AMI and homebuyers between 61% and 100% AMI with no place to go, because of
how we incentivize the building of affordable homes.

2. This plan shows that we are not beholden to a system that fails to deliver for the majority of our
families, but instead shares how we can create a new affordable housing system that responds to
the real needs of our residents by making long overdue investments in our greatest assets – our
local communities and our local people,” added [HCA Executive Director, Jeff Gilbreath].
[Clarification Supplied]
Maui County Comprehensive Affordable Housing Plan
A plan to build affordable homes for the people of Maui County
<https://sites.google.com/view/mauihousingplan>
______________________________
TRUE INJUSTICE WAS TO FAMILIES WHO WERE TO BE KAHOMA VILLAGE OWNERS
Stanford S. Carr, CEO, Stanford Carr Development, March 19, 2021
<https://www.mauinews.com/opinion/columns/2021/03/true-injustice-was-to-families-who-were-to-be-kahoma-village-owners/>
For five years, the case sat before the Intermediate Court of Appeals. … While it is a travesty that
the ICA was unable to render a decision on a much-needed affordable housing project for five
years, the ultimate tragedy is what this dispute cost the 50-plus Maui families who lost their
opportunity to purchase a home in Lahaina. When Maui was told to “stay home,” those families
were irreparably damaged without one.
Let's be clear about who this legal dispute has harmed the most. They are West Maui families
who:
• Did not own any other real estate.
• Intended to be owner-occupants.
• Had an income range of 80 to 140 percent of the area median income.
• Largely were members of the service industry.
In late March 2020, when the world stopped turning, more than half of Kahoma Village's
workforce buyers were forced to withdraw their plans for homeownership. While every
applicant was returned their deposit, what can never be returned is the opportunity lost for
them and their families. THEREIN LIES THE TRUE INJUSTICE. [Emphasis Supplied]
______________________________
MAUI COUNTY AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMITTEE
<http://mauicounty.us/ah/>
Gabe Johnson, Chair
Michael J. Molina, Vice-Chair
Tasha Kama
Kelly Takaya King
Alice L. Lee
Tamara Paltin
Keani N.W. Rawlins-Fernandez
Shane M. Sinenci
Yuki Lei K. Sugimura
DUTIES
1. Affordable or residential workforce housing programs, including expedited approvals
of housing projects under Chapter 201H, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and related
District Boundary Amendments, and under Chapter 2.97, Maui County Code.

3. 2. Amendments, and under Chapter 2.97, Maui County Code.Amendments to the
Residential Workforce Housing Policy and other affordable housing ordinances.
3. Homeless programs and related matters.
4. Proposals for increasing the availability or affordability of housing.
5. Oversight of the Department of Housing and Human Concerns' Housing Division.
6. Implementation of the following General Plan objective: Expand Housing
Opportunities for Residents.