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Maui Elections 2026

Issues

Housing & Bill 9

The central fight of the race — what went wrong with housing after Lahaina, and whether phasing out apartment-zoned short-term rentals is the fix or a fiscal mistake.

June 2026 development

Bill 9 implementation watch

Units affected

~6,200

West Maui deadline

Jan 1, 2029

Rest of county

Jan 1, 2031

Backers say

Returning apartment-zoned TVRs to long-term use will improve affordability for kamaʻāina after short-term rentals reached 21% of Maui housing stock.

Critics say

Projected tax and tourism revenue losses will hurt jobs and county services without guaranteeing units become affordable rentals.

The UHERO paradox

A University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization study was cited by both sides. We present both interpretations with attribution — no endorsement.

Supporters highlighted

Projected improved affordability and decreased housing costs from returning units to long-term residential use.

Opponents highlighted

Projected widespread job loss and significant reduction in county tax revenue.

Background

The August 8, 2023 Lahaina wildfire killed 102 people, destroyed approximately 5,500 homes, and displaced more than 12,000 residents. It intensified a pre-existing housing crisis on an island where short-term vacation rentals had come to represent 21% of total housing stock — the highest percentage of any county in Hawaiʻi.

What Bill 9 does

Signed into law by Mayor Bissen on December 15, 2025 after a 5–3 council vote:

  • Phases out “Minatoya” transient vacation rentals in apartment-zoned districts
  • 6,000+ units expected to return to long-term residential use
  • Phase-out deadline: January 1, 2029 (West Maui); January 1, 2031 (rest of county)
  • Does not eliminate all tourism; ~6,500 other TVR parcels plus hotels and B&Bs continue

The UHERO paradox

A University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization study was cited by both sides:

  • Supporters highlighted projected improved affordability and decreased housing costs
  • Opponents highlighted projected widespread job loss and significant reduction in county tax revenue

This site presents both interpretations with attribution. No endorsement.

Use the cards below for each candidate’s framing — what they say broke, and what they say should happen next.

Where leading candidates stand

  • Richard T. Bissen Jr.

    Convert STRs to homes
    “Ninety-four percent of the units affected are owned by people who don't live in Maui County.”

    How they frame the problem

    Maui’s housing crisis was already severe; Lahaina made it catastrophic. Apartment-zoned short-term vacation rentals — a large share owned by non-residents — lock up stock that should house local families. Waiting for new construction alone will not restore kamaʻāina housing fast enough.

    What they say should happen

    Defend and implement Bill 9’s phase-out (West Maui by 2029; rest of county by 2031) so 6,000+ units can return to long-term residential use; pair conversion with continued affordable-housing production (administration cites 880+ delivered since 2023; 3,000 planned by 2030).

    Introduced and signed Bill 9 in December 2025 after a 5–3 council vote. Contested UHERO projections are cited by both sides below.

  • Yuki Lei Sugimura

    Minimize economic damage

    How they frame the problem

    Bill 9 risks large annual revenue losses (~$60M property tax and ~$15M GET/TAT figures she has cited) that fund county services, while units may sit vacant or sell to investors rather than become affordable rentals. Housing goals fail without the infrastructure to build.

    What they say should happen

    Does not seek repeal; focuses on minimizing economic damage and putting “pipes, permits, and pavement” first so homes can actually be built — cutting permit times and investing in water, roads, and wastewater ahead of conversion mandates.

    One of three dissenting votes on Bill 9. Summarized from council record and campaign framing in local coverage and the research brief.

  • P. Denise La Costa

    Repeal + Homes Together
    “Maui collects about $65 million every year from short-term rental property taxes. We can let that money disappear under a law that won't create a single home. Or we can use it to help local families buy homes.”

    How they frame the problem

    Bill 9 phases out STR tax revenue without producing a single home. Maui collects about $65M/year (per campaign) from short-term rental property taxes that could fund local buyers and renters instead of disappearing under a phase-out that, in her view, fails the housing test.

    What they say should happen

    Day One — transmit Bill 9 repeal packaged with Homes Together — down-payment aid ($50k–$80k; up to ~$110k with other programs), rental stabilization for up to 1,750 households/year, fire-impacted rent relief, and DHHL partnership.

    Campaign positions from mayorlacosta2026.com/homes-together. Program scale and savings figures are campaign models, not official county estimates.