On that terrible day, Aug. 8, 2023, uncontrolled disaster in the form of wildfires swept West Maui, killing 102 people, destroying homes and upending life for thousands of Valley Isle residents.
Now that there is at last a final Long Term Recovery Plan, Maui County must see that “uncontrolled” is not the word that describes how the blueprint is realized. The plan contains lots of moving parts — all important components, but all of them have to move in coordination.
That’s not always a hallmark of major Hawaii projects, but in this recovery effort, it must be.
To its credit, Maui County has done solid outreach to the wider population. Longtime residents should have a significant voice in the rebuilding of their communities, with Lahaina the most completely devastated. The 155-page document opens with an acknowledgment of those community ideas, gathered through multiple events, interviews and surveys.
The county’s challenge is to balance the myriad responses. Some residents wanted the original configuration of the town maintained; others preferred that the region’s historical heritage be better reflected in the recovery process.
It does appear in the plan that the county planners were responsive to cultural values. Among the first steps to be taken is to evaluate the National Historic Landmark District for Lahaina, assessing surviving buildings, and basically enabling historic considerations to guide redevelopment. Longer term, the vision of creating a “cultural corridor” for restoration of key sites is outlined.
The overall approach in the plan is encouraging: It outlines an array of 40 priority projects to take shape over the near, intermediate and long terms. Economic recovery is a central goal, and the work of the established Maui Economic Recovery Commission is incorporated throughout.
Immediate actions include an overarching Rebuild Lahaina Plan to help balance goals such as community needs, climate resilience for Lahaina and sustaining its historical significance. Such short-term projects are expected to take one to two years to complete.
Among the front-rank projects named is “enhancing emergency communication networks.” The failure of such networks in the management of the wildfire crisis itself makes this an imperative to head off any future catastrophic response.
Right alongside is the top-level priority of developing affordable housing in the short term. The urgency of the Affordable Rental Housing Program is clear: About 700 units in 10 projects were lost in the fires, and the aim is to replace them, as well as expanding their capacity to meet the growing demand since the disaster.
The plan anticipates that affordability “is likely to be set at similar levels as the projects were pre-fire” — and that must be firmly underscored.
“These projects are identified as a ‘program’ to signify the great need for affordable housing, and to, at a minimum, match the unit number and affordability level of the former units,” according to its description in the Long Term Recovery Plan.
Although there is also the disclaimer that “the actual level of affordability is unknown at this time,” this section should be taken as a commitment. Proposals must be evaluated largely on the basis of affordability to the people who depended on this housing.
Here is one point at which coordination is essential. The identified range of potential funding sources — Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program, Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant Program — involve federal agriculture and housing and urban development departments as partners.
There is also the ‘Ohana Assistance Program, which the county launched in August, tapping into the Maui Homeowner Assistance Fund for the construction of accessory dwelling units as additional housing. Those will be private projects of variable affordability, however.
The leads in the state and county housing agencies have to manage the complexities of permitting and financing, “likely well beyond what is available post-fire.”
Given the uncertainties over resources in the advent of a federal administration aimed at budget-cutting, these rough waters can be navigated only through careful monitoring and advocacy by county, state and federal officials.
Mid-term initiatives include much-needed projects to improve street connectivity, restoration of Lahaina Harbor and water infrastructure resilience work. Long-range projects target critical regional gaps, such as the addition of a hospital that West Maui now lacks and the development of an intracounty ferry system.
Maui County pledges to communicate updates to the plan, which are to be made regularly, an encouraging note. Its executive summary notes that the document “is designed to evolve as the recovery progresses and aims to ensure that Lahaina’s recovery is community-driven, resilient and sustainable, honoring the town’s rich history while building a brighter future.”
That’s the right goal. Now comes the hard, collaborative work of delivering it well.
