A Plan to House Maui, Part II 🏘️
Last week we discussed streamlining accessory dwelling units to help the housing crisis on Maui.
This week, let’s talk zoning.
Maui’s Exclusionary Zoning Code
The Maui County Zoning Code has not been substantially updated since 1960, before the Civil Rights Act.
Because of exclusionary zoning and permitting delays, it is impossible to build affordable housing on Maui without subsidy.
In the Maui County Comprehensive Affordable Housing Plan, Policy Priority #1 is “update the county zoning code to lower housing costs and promote affordability by design.”
The administration began a zoning code rewrite in 2020.
And it was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic…
The rewrite is two years behind schedule and expected to complete in 2028.
The fires will delay this further.
For context,
The fires on Maui displaced thousands, adding to a decades-long housing crisis.
The Governor’s emergency proclamation on housing faces legal challenges. Many citizens oppose its skirting of Sunshine Law. They demand more opportunities for public participation.
At the same time, Mayor Bissen’s administration is busy with the emergency response.
The state legislature will not resume session until January. They face a statewide recession and have other issues to contend with. They are not responsible for land use and zoning policy.
The Maui County Council is the only legitimate actor left, and they control land use and zoning.
They don’t have to wait for the Mayor or mainland consultants or people with fancy letters after their name.
They can enact zoning reform now.
They can:
lift limits on accessory dwelling units,
reduce minimum lot sizes,
remove minimum parking requirements,
lift bans on single room occupancy,
and permit affordable housing by right with ministerial review and a shot clock.
These are some of the suggestions I shared with the council’s housing committee last week.
Watch and share the full testimony here.