By Lehia Apana
Special to the Herald
What do ordinary Maui folk think about their homeless problem? Professionals, politicians and concerned community members gathered on July 13 at the Christ the King School cafeteria in Kahului to find out.
The meeting was the third of five “talk story sessions” held at various Catholic churches across Maui from June 29 to July 27 as forums for everyday citizens to voice their opinions on Maui County’s affordable housing crisis.
The sessions were organized by a group of affordable housing activists called Housing for the Local Person (HLP). They have partnered with Maui’s Catholic Churches, the Knights of Columbus, Christian Ministry Church and Hawaiian Community Assets, Inc. to host the sessions.
This grassroots effort began about a year ago when members of HLP met with Maui County Council member and chairman of its Housing and Human Services Committee, Danny Mateo, about his idea for an ordinance to address affordable housing on Maui. Following Mateo’s direction, the group joined the process of creating a county ordinance on affordable housing.
In doing so, they discovered that the county council was hearing a lot from real estate developers and not enough from the common people. Frustrated, the group decided to engage ordinary citizens in the political dialogue. At the time, however, HLP had practically no money and no site to host meetings.
Undeterred, the group pushed forward. They asked Maui’s Catholic churches to host the meetings and solicited donations from the Knights of Columbus and the Maui Council. “We have no money, no budget and a lot of passion and heart,” said HLP member Kehau Filimoeatu.
More listen than talk
Deacon Stan Franco of St. Theresa parish in Kihei, a longtime advocate for affordable housing for Maui’s work force, said the “talk story sessions” are designed to give regular folks a chance to share their personal struggles and offer viable solutions.
“This is a different kind of talk story session — it’s more of a listening session,” said Franco who also serves as the meetings’ moderator.
During the two-hour meeting at Christ the King school, participants were invited to explain how they have been personally affected by the lack of Maui’s affordable housing. These stories, along with data collected at other sessions, will be compiled in a report and presented to politicians and the general community.
One after another, participants candidly revealed their personal struggles to obtain a house on Maui.
One mother expressed her concern that her children would not be able to live on the island because of high housing prices. Another man told of his struggles to pay his monthly bills, let alone a costly mortgage payment. A single mother admitted her frustration in squeezing her family in a house much too small to accommodate them.
According to Filimoeatu, the purpose of the sessions is for the community to speak and for HLP to listen. She emphasized that the sessions are not a time for debate, and rather a time to gather information.
“We wanted to hear from people who don’t normally have a voice,” she said. “We will then take that information to the people who do have a voice.”
Several politicians attended the July 13 meeting to hear the concerns of citizens and to respond to them directly.
“The American dream of owning a home is no longer a dream — it has become a nightmare,” said county council member Mateo standing before the group. Heads nodded and hands clapped as the audience responded with approval. He urged people to learn more and become involved with the issues that affect them.
Hana speaks out
The June 29 session at St. Mary Church in Hana highlighted the concerns of those living on the east side of the island. According to HLP’s report from that session, one of the biggest concerns from residents was that the homes are not priced at what people can reasonably afford, and that the average household income needs to be considered when defining “affordable housing.”
There was also concern regarding the many rules and regulations that restrict homebuilding and add to the overall costs. Residents suggested that the building codes be revised to allow people to build more cheaply.
According to one participant who wished to remain anonymous, many people do not become involved with the legislative process because they feel their voice will not make a difference. She agrees that the “talk story sessions” are a step in the right direction.
“I believe a lot of wisdom lies in the people who are living through Maui’s tough housing market and not only the experts. Politicians need to listen to the ‘manao’ (thoughts, opinions) from those who live it day to day,” she said.
The other talk story sessions were held at Holy Rosary Church in Paia, St. Theresa Church in Kihei and Maria Lanakila Church in Lahaina.
For more information about the Maui talk story sessions, call deacon Stan Franco at 808-879-2649 or 808-879-0912, or send an e-mail message to franco@hgea.net.