Hawaii
Skyrocketing Maui rent shrinks housing options for wildfire survivors
Rent control might be needed as Maui landlords continue to demand more money for limited housing to accommodate survivors of the Aug. 8 wildfires, according to officials with the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement who say victims might need to consider moving off-island for a year or more.
Some 1,100 households — or 2,768 individual evacuees — were still living in 11 Maui hotels as of Friday.
The number of survivors still housed in hotels fell from the original 3,000 families — or 7,796 individuals — who were initially housed in 40 hotels.
To get survivors into longer-term housing, CNHA has helped pay to cover the difference in rent between what the Federal Emergency Management Agency will pay and about $2,000 more that landlords typically want.
“It’s not sustainable,” CNHA CEO Kuhio Lewis told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
“We’re only putting a Band-Aid. Hundreds of millions of dollars are better spent building than paying these ridiculous rates for a limited time.”
Most families want to remain in West Maui to be closer to jobs and schools, which might be difficult given the limited supply of affordable housing.
Serious discussions need to happen about moving families to other islands, where rents are still high but closer to what survivors can pay, Lewis said.
“Families can afford $1,500 but rents (on Maui) are as high as $6,000, $7,000,” Lewis said.
So far, CNHA has helped relocate six Maui families to Hawaii island and four more to Oahu but more need to consider moving, Lewis said.
There are fewer listings for vacation rentals on sites like Craigslist since the devastating fires because landlords can make more through a temporary county property tax moratorium combined with higher rental rates by renting to fire survivors, Lewis said.
“It’s a mess,” he said. “There just aren’t enough housing options on Maui.
“People have to consider moving to Oahu or another island.”
Rents skyrocket Matt Jachowski, CNHA’s director of data, technology and innovation, has been crunching housing data to compare before and after the fires.
The disaster only exacerbated Maui’s shortage of affordable housing by destroying or leaving unlivable some 3,900 units — including several that contained multiple families.
“We lost a whole town,” Jachowski said. “You have no chance of living in West Maui without FEMA.
“You’re talking about multi-generational homes where rent was lower so you lost all of the low-income housing.”
Converting vacation rentals into longer leases of a year or more has been the focus of Gov. Josh Green, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen and the County Council to get survivors out of hotels but, Lewis said,
“We’re just paying too much for short-term rentals.”
“Families really need to be told what their options are, ” he said. “Their options need to include temporarily moving off-island because there’s just not enough inventory that anyone can afford.”
Hawaii
Healthier Hawaii: How to protect your hearing; head and neck warning signs you shouldn’t ignore
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – You may have received new earbuds or headphones during the holidays. But there are a few things you keep in mind when it comes to protecting your hearing.
Dr. Ross Shockley, an otolaryngologist with Wilcox Medical Center and Kaua‘i Medical Clinic, offers the following tips for hearing, as well as head and neck health.
Head and neck cancers
Many people are not familiar with head or neck cancers. What causes it and when should someone see a doctor?
- Traditionally, head and neck cancers were mostly associated with longtime smokers and drinkers. Now, more cases are tied to human papillomavirus (HPV), even in nonsmokers and drinkers. HPV is the same virus that can lead to cervical cancer in women. It is common and can have no symptoms.
- If you have throat pain, pain when swallowing that doesn’t go away, or a mass in your neck that feels firm and isn’t moving, don’t wait. See your doctor.
- Head and neck cancers can be treated, no matter the cause, if caught early.
How to prevent hearing loss
More young adults, in their early 20s, are experiencing hearing loss. Can hearing loss be reversed?
- Hearing loss can’t be reversed. Once ringing in ears starts, that can be permanent.
- Wear appropriate hearing protection when using power tools or firing weapons.
- You can find ear protection that blocks out sound for about $15. Protection that covers the whole ear are better than earplugs.
How do you know if music or movies are too loud?
- Don’t turn anything up to the maximum.
- You want the volume to be at the lowest level where you can still hear and understand.
- If there is background noise, don’t crank up the volume all the way to fight it. Use noise-cancelling headphones or go somewhere quieter.
Dangers of cleaning your ears
You may feel the urge to clean your ears. Shockley says do less, or even nothing at all.
- Our ears clean themselves. As new skin grows, it takes wax with it out of your ear.
- When you clean your ears, you’re interrupting that natural cleaning process.
- You can also put yourself at risk for external ear infections – or make your ears itch more.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
Hawaii
Hawaii Grown: Few isle players in College Football Playoff final four | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hawaii Island police are renewing their request for the public’s assistance in locating 82-year-old Jacquelyn Glenn of Kailua-Kona, who was reported missing by her family.
Police said she is considered endangered due to her age.
Glenn was last seen on Friday, Dec. 5, around 6:37 a.m., on the 75-200 block of Nani Kailua Dr. in Kailua-Kona.
She was wearing a peach-colored shirt, blue denim jeans, and black tennis shoes. She reportedly mentioned going to Hilo with friends, but did not say when she planned to return.
She is described as 5′6″, 125 Ibs, with curly grey hair and brown eyes.
Police ask anyone with information on the whereabouts of Jacquelyn Glenn to call the Hawaii Police Department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
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