Read the Responses for candidates for Maui Mayor
Richard Bissen
Key quotes Richard T. Bissen, Jr.’s questionnaire:
Livability and affordability
“A livable and affordable Maui County is one where local families can build a future without having to leave the place they love.”
“It's a community where our young people can choose to stay, where working families can afford a home, where our kūpuna can retire with dignity, and where local businesses can succeed because local people have the opportunity to thrive.”
“Keeping our people home has been my administration's top priority from day one, and that requires more than simply building more housing.”
“There is no single policy that will solve Maui County's affordability challenges.”
Housing supply
“One of the biggest misconceptions is that there is a single solution to Maui County's housing challenges.”
“The reality is our housing shortage developed over decades, and rebuilding our housing supply requires a comprehensive, long-term strategy.”
“Since taking office, we've increased affordable housing production by 190 percent because we've focused on every part of the housing system rather than relying on one solution.”
“There are no quick fixes, but by staying committed to a comprehensive strategy, investing in infrastructure, improving transparency, and putting local families first, we're making meaningful progress toward keeping our people home.”
Building homes for local families
“Building affordable housing to keep local families home is my highest priority because housing is at the heart of Maui County's affordability challenges.”
“When our residents can afford to live where they work, raise their families, and retire in the communities they love, we strengthen every part of our county.”
Public safety and infrastructure
“Public safety is my second priority because families need to feel safe in their homes and communities.”
“Housing and infrastructure must go hand in hand.”
“We cannot expect local families to shoulder the cost of decades of underinvestment, and we cannot build housing without the water, wastewater, roads, drainage, and parks that support healthy communities.”
“Over the next four years, we've committed more than $1.29 billion in infrastructure investments and more than $250 million toward affordable housing construction and preservation.”
“Building housing isn't enough. We also have to build the infrastructure that allows our communities to thrive.”
Permitting and 201H and 2.97 process
“The most impactful improvement is creating a faster, more predictable review process that gets affordable housing from application to construction sooner while maintaining transparency and community trust.”
“Every unnecessary delay increases costs and postpones housing for local families.”
“Success isn't measured by how quickly permits are issued. It's measured by how many local families receive the keys to a home.”
Owner occupancy and wealth building
“These programs have been valuable tools for increasing affordable housing, but I believe there is room to strengthen them so they better balance long-term affordability with opportunities for local families to build equity.”
“We should continue prioritizing owner occupancy by local residents, discouraging speculation, and preserving affordable housing for future generations.”
“Ultimately, the goal isn't simply to build more homes.”
“It's to create pathways for local families to become homeowners, build generational wealth, and remain part of our community for decades to come.”
Zoning and land use reform
“I support comprehensive reform.”
“When communities have already invested significant time developing and adopting community plans, our zoning should better reflect those community decisions without requiring unnecessary, duplicative processes.”
“By aligning zoning with adopted community plans, we can reduce unnecessary delays, improve predictability, and accelerate housing production while continuing to respect community input and responsible growth.”
Fast track affordable housing
“Affordable housing projects that meet established requirements should have a clear, predictable path forward.”
“I would support changes to the voting threshold only if they improve certainty for qualified affordable housing projects while preserving transparency, accountability, and meaningful public input.”
“Every policy should be evaluated based on one question: Will it help more local families find and keep a home in Maui County?”
Read Full Questionnaire here:
P. Denise La Costa
Key quotes from P. Denise La Costa’s questionnaire:
Livability and affordability
“A livable and affordable Maui County means that the people who work here can also afford to live here, raise their families here, and retire here with dignity.”
“My first priority is housing.”
“Increasing the supply of truly affordable homes under $500,000 is the key.”
“Affordability also requires controlling the cost of government.”
“A truly empowered Maui Nui is one where local residents are not merely surviving from paycheck to paycheck.”
Housing supply
“A common misconception is that Maui County’s housing crisis is simply caused by a lack of housing units.”
“The deeper problem is that we do not have enough homes that local working families can actually afford.”
“Building more housing does not automatically create affordability.”
“We must be transparent about how many homes are being built, what they will cost, who will qualify, and how long they will remain affordable.”
Government delays and costs
“Years of permitting delays, infrastructure limitations, water-access problems, and complicated approval processes increase construction costs.”
“Those additional costs are ultimately passed on to the buyer or renter.”
“The delays, as stated above, just drive up prices and make homes less affordable.”
Lahaina rebuilding
“The rebuilding of Lahaina is paramouont!”
“The permitting process is more than ardous!”
“The heart of Maui is begging to come back and I will champion that every day, starting on day one.”
Infrastructure
“Housing cannot be built infrastructurebeforehousing.responsibly without adequate water, wastewater systems, roads, drainage, parks, and public-safety infrastructure.”
“Developers must contribute their fair share toward the infrastructure their projects require.”
“Growth must help pay for growth, and public dollars must be prioritized for infrastructure that supports truly affordable housing and improves the quality of life for the communities already here.”
201H and 2.97 housing process
“The most impactful change would be to create one coordinated, time-limited process that moves qualified housing projects from application through construction without sacrificing health, safety, infrastructure, or genuine affordability.”
“However, approval alone does not put families into homes.”
“The goal must be more than approving projects sooner; it must be delivering completed homes that local residents can obtain and afford.”
Owner occupancy and wealth building
“Not adequately.”
“The current process must do more than produce units on paper.”
“It should ensure that local residents can actually qualify, purchase, remain in the home, and build equity over time.”
“Affordable housing should provide stability and a path to wealth-building, not just temporary shelter.”
“The goal should be simple: homes built faster, sold to local residents, occupied by local owners, and structured so those families can stay on Maui and build a future here.”
Zoning and fast track housing
“With Comprehensive Refore, permitting will be more expeditious.”
“It will cut months, if not years off the process.”
“The only reasons that an affordable housing project should NOT be approved for fast tracking is if there are questions about the land or title issues OR if the project is unsuitable for the area”
Read Full Questionnaire here:
Yuki Lei Sugimura
Key quotes from Yuki Lei Sugimura’s questionnaire:
Livability and affordability
“A livable and affordable Maui County means that the people who call this place home can afford to build their future here.”
“It means working families can pay their bills without choosing between rent and groceries.”
“It means our young people can build careers here instead of feeling like they have to leave to succeed.”
“Every family forced to leave is a loss to our community, our workforce, and our future.”
“The median single-family home price in Maui County is $1.17 million, which places homeownership beyond the reach of too many local residents.”
“A livable and affordable Maui County is not a dream.”
Housing supply
“One of the most common misconceptions I encounter is that Maui County does not have enough housing projects in the pipeline.”
“During my tenure on the County Council, I voted in support of more than 6,500 housing units across 37 different projects.”
“The pipeline exists.”
“The problem is that too many of those projects are stuck – delayed by a permitting process that averages 380 days, constrained by insufficient water and wastewater infrastructure, and slowed by a government that has not treated housing production with the urgency it deserves.”
“In reality, our housing crisis is less about a lack of approved projects, and more about the County’s ability to serve as a partner in moving these projects from approval to construction.”
Short-term rentals and Bill 9
“A second misconception worth addressing is the belief that Bill 9 — which phases out short-term rentals in apartment-zoned districts — will meaningfully solve our housing shortage.”
“A Temporary Investigative Group found that nearly 75% of the units covered by Bill 9 are not suitable for long-term residential housing.”
“The public deserves an honest conversation about what will – and what will not – solve our housing shortage.”
Building homes for local residents
“My highest priority is building homes for local residents because it is at the center of nearly every challenge facing Maui County.”
“Expanding our housing supply must be the County's top priority.”
“Creating housing, however, requires more than approving projects.”
“Without adequate water infrastructure, we cannot responsibly expand housing or strengthen our local economy.”
Infrastructure
“County investments in water, wastewater, roads, drainage, and parks should be aligned with housing production so that public dollars are directed toward projects that help local families.”
“We cannot expect taxpayers to shoulder this responsibility alone.”
“By coordinating public investment with responsible private investment, we can maximize every dollar without placing unnecessary costs on local residents.”
“If the answer is yes, then it should receive priority consideration.”
201H and 2.97 housing process
“The most impactful change within the 201H and MCC 2.97 processes would be to make the application and approval process faster, more predictable, and based on clear, objective standards.”
“The preparation of a 201H and 2.97 application can take months or years, cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, and at the end of the process, there is still no guarantee for approval.”
“The application process should be simplified to limit unnecessary uncertainty for qualified residential projects, while maintaining the standards that protect public resources.”
Owner occupancy and wealth building
“Building equity in a home is one of the most powerful tools that a working family has to build long-term financial security.”
“The right approach is one that keeps homes affordable and owner-occupied for a reasonable period, while also ensuring that local families can improve their financial situation through home ownership.”
“The 10-year requirement under HRS 201H achieves that balance, but extending restrictions beyond that term - like the extended terms under MCC 2.97 - risks doing more harm than good.”
Zoning and land use reform
“I support comprehensive zoning and land use reform because the duplicative work necessitated by a community plan that exists separately from our zoning maps is an unnecessary source of delay in our efforts to build homes for local families.”
“Automatically updating zoning maps to conform with adopted community plans would eliminate this redundancy and corresponding delay.”
“As Mayor, I will pursue this kind of comprehensive zoning reform because we cannot continue to maintain processes that make it unnecessarily difficult to build.”
Fast track affordable housing
“I support requiring a broader Council consensus to disapprove qualified fast-track affordable housing projects.”
“When an affordable housing project has met the objective standards established by law and successfully completed the required review process, it should not be derailed by shifting political considerations or the vote of a narrow majority.”
“A broader Council consensus strikes that balance by preserving accountability while providing greater confidence that qualified affordable housing projects can move forward.”
Read Full Questionnaire here:
