People on Maui have heard the stories: neighbors forced from their homes not by last year’s wildfires, but by property owners seeking to take advantage of the housing shortage. In some cases, tenants have said property owners have rented to government aid programs that offered top dollar to shelter wildfire survivors. In others, landlords have rented to others who will pay more.
Civil Beat has teamed up with ProPublica to more deeply examine what many say is a secondary housing crisis stemming from the loss of thousands of homes in the wildfires. We want to know how widespread these issues are, who’s responsible, who’s been harmed and what can be done about it.
To do this right, we need to hear from anyone who has been touched by this issue. You can help us ensure our stories are comprehensive and nuanced and that they reflect what is happening in your life. If you’re a property owner or landlord, we want to hear your thoughts on the governor’s emergency order barring most evictions and rent increases. If you are a property manager, real estate agent or someone else with expertise in Maui’s housing market, we’d like to hear from you. If you work for a government agency, contractor or nonprofit aid group, we’d like to hear from you, too. And, of course, we want to hear from renters: people who had to leave their homes so wildfire survivors could move in, those who faced rent increases, those who have been told their leases will not be renewed and those who have left Maui.
