Delays spell doom for Lahaina as we knew it

from Grassroot Institute

Hawaii policymakers need to do everything within their powers to hasten the rebuilding of Lahaina if they want to avoid avoid saying aloha to the town as it existed before the wildfires of August 2023.

That was Grassroot policy analyst Jonathan Helton's message in the Sept. 28 edition of Maui Now, headlined "Delays spell doom for rebuilding Lahaina as we knew it."

"Yes, some property owners did not have adequate insurance," he wrote. "Others might still be deciding whether they want to rebuild. But many homeowners and businesses are simply hamstrung by Maui County’s overly complex zoning and permitting regulations."

As a result, he said, most Lahaina residents still lack permanent shelter, and many others have simply moved away.

Helton, who also wrote Grassroot's most recent policy brief about Lahaina, "Four more ways to speed up Lahaina's wildfire recovery," added that Lahaina’s business owners likewise are suffering, with hundreds out of business completely, resulting in unemployment and millions of dollars in lost tax revenue for the county and state.

He asked: "How much longer is it going to take for Lahaina to get back on its feet — five, 10, 15 years? The town will be rebuilt, but will the residents and small businesses who called it home before the fires still be around?"

Read the complete commentary here.

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Grassroot continues testifying at the counties

The following are testimonies submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii over the past few weeks for consideration by the Hawai‘i, Honolulu and Maui county councils:

HAWAI‘I COUNTY

>> Bill 52 (2025) — “Allowing backyard henneries would reduce need for imported eggs”

>> Bill 63 (2025) — “Support more mix-use zoning as way to help increase housing options”

HONOLULU COUNTY

>> Bill 34 (2024) — “Don’t add new property tax tiers; link thresholds to value assessments”

>> Bill 42 (2025), CD1 — “Abolish rate-setting rules for taxicabs to remove competitive disadvantage”

>> Resolution 25-171 — “Repealing Act 39 would be step backward in effort to add housing”

MAUI COUNTY

>> Bill 40, CD1 (2025) — "Longer deed restrictions could make affordable housing less attractive"

>> Bill 113 (2025) — “Extend partial relief for late filers of homeowner, rental exemptions”

>> Bill 156 (2025) — "Allow building ‘encroachments’ that comprised part of Lahaina’s charm"

Elsewhere in the Grassroot universe ...

>> KHVH radio host Rick Hamada cited Grassroot Institute of Hawaii research in a recent Aloha State Daily column about the state general excise tax. The article was headlined "Hawaiʻi’s General Excise Tax — helping or hurting the cost of living?"