Low-income renters fear they’ll be priced out of Lahaina apartments

Hawaiʻi Appleseed attorney Victor Geminiani, representing tenants, said the developers claimed in 2015—when they first asked for deregulation—that the property was worth $8.6 million. But in their recent testimony opposing SB 1266, they claimed the current value—after the removal of the affordability requirements—was between $31 million and $47 million.

Geminiani said political leaders need to act now if they want to prevent homelessness and a loss of affordable housing.

“Our political leaders in both the county and the state are going to have to develop a concrete plan to acquire this property,” he said.