Real Estate News

ʻUlu o Lele Marketplace Opens Vendor Applications; Storefronts Targeted by October 12

On September 14, the Hawaiian Council (Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement) announced that the website and vendor application portal for the ʻUlu o Lele Marketplace are now live at uluolele.com. This is the first project returning storefronts to Front Street since the August 2023 wildfires, and the application launch moves it from planning into active tenant selection. The proposed timeline: applications close September 27, the ʻUlu o Lele Advisory Committee reviews applications the week of September 28, follow-ups and selections take place the weeks of October 5 and 12, and storefronts are slated to open by October 12, 2026, superseding the previously reported September opening target. Advisory Committee chair Mikey Burke noted the earlier Vendor Interest Form drew responses from 93 businesses, and CEO Kūhiō Lewis said the project is about bringing jobs back and restoring a place for Lahaina's local businesses. All Maui-based businesses are encouraged to apply, with priority for businesses impacted by the August 8, 2023 wildfires and those with a connection to Lahaina.

Lights for Lahaina Light March Uses Newly Reopened Front Street

Maui County announced a temporary closure of Front Street between Kenui and Dickenson streets from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 12, 2026, for the Lights for Lahaina Light March, which Maui Now covered on September 10. The annual two-evening remembrance event (September 11-12) drew the community onto the newly reopened corridor, which resumed vehicle traffic on August 1, marking one of the first large community gatherings on Front Street since the fires and giving residents and visitors a chance to experience the restored commercial district during the healing-focused weekend.

Mayor Bissen Urges USPS to Preserve Mail Delivery for Rebuilt Lahaina Homes

On September 3, Maui Now reported that Mayor Richard Bissen sent a letter to the U.S. Postmaster General and urged the U.S. Postal Service to preserve direct mail delivery for Lahaina residents whose homes were destroyed in the 2023 wildfires and are now rebuilding. The mayor's concern is that returning residents could lose the direct delivery they had before the fire and be directed to centralized cluster mailboxes. Nonprofit and public-radio reporting on the same issue noted that some rebuilt homes have been classified as new construction in postal systems while homes that never burned continue receiving mail normally. The situation affects hundreds of families moving back into rebuilt homes and shows that recovery infrastructure includes utilities and services, not just construction.

Civil Beat Reports Survivors Losing Thousands to Unlicensed Contractors

On September 2, Honolulu Civil Beat, a nonprofit newsroom, published a report titled "No Relief For Maui Wildfire Survivors Losing Thousands To Contractors," detailing how Lahaina fire survivors rebuilding their homes have lost thousands of dollars to unlicensed contractors, with limited recourse to recover the losses. The reporting goes beyond individual disputes to note a systemic gap: as the rebuild accelerates, the accountability mechanisms available to homeowners have not kept pace, leaving some of Hawaii's most vulnerable residents to absorb the cost of shoddy or unfinished work. For buyers and owners watching Lahaina's rebuilding, it is a reminder to verify licenses, references, and written contracts with every contractor.

Lahaina Community Meeting Held September 2, 2026

The county's September 2 Lahaina Community Meeting took place as scheduled at the Lahaina Intermediate School cafeteria, with a livestream on the County of Maui Facebook page and a broadcast on Maui Community Media (Akaku) Channel 53, per the County of Maui Recovery weekly roundup. The agenda included a presentation on the Waine'e Wildfire Risk Reduction Project, a planned West Maui recycling center from the Department of Environmental Management, an update on the ʻUlu o Lele interim marketplace from the Hawaiian Council, and updates from the County Office of Recovery covering housing and the Ho'okumu Hou rebuild programs. The marketplace update did not yield a confirmed opening date, but the project remains on track for its targeted September opening.

Lahaina Community Meeting Set for September 2, 2026

Maui County announced on August 31 that its monthly Lahaina Community Meeting will be held Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. in the Lahaina Intermediate School cafeteria, with a livestream on the County of Maui Facebook page and a broadcast on Akaku Maui Community Media Channel 53. The agenda includes a presentation on the Waine'e Wildfire Risk Reduction Project from the Maui Emergency Management Agency, information on a planned West Maui recycling center from the Department of Environmental Management, an update on the ʻUlu O Lele interim marketplace from the Hawaiian Council (Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement), and updates from the County Office of Recovery covering housing and the Ho'okumu Hou rebuild programs. The evening closes with a question-and-answer session and resource tables staffed by the Office of Recovery, DEM, MEMA, 4LEAF, Hawaiian Electric Co., the Hawaiian Council, and the Ho'ōla iā Mauiakama Disaster Long Term Recovery Group. This monthly forum remains a key channel for residents to weigh in on rebuilding priorities and for the county to update the community on active recovery programs.

ʻŌiwi Resources Department Advances Lahaina Royal Complex Master Plan

In an August 30 feature, Maui Now profiled the County of Maui's ʻŌiwi Resources Department, which is the lead agency developing the Lahaina Royal Complex Master Plan in partnership with G70. The plan creates a community vision for Lahaina's historic royal seat, covering Moku'ula Island, Loko o Mokuhinia and Loko o Nālehu ponds, Pākalā, and Malu ʻUlu o Lele, and spans cultural and historic sites, hydrology and water policy, public access, and infrastructure and traffic flow. Resident input is being gathered through surveys and community consultations, including a statewide survey that launched in June 2026. Following the August 2023 wildfire, the plan is framed as charting long-term cultural, ecological, and community healing, restoring the fire-damaged historic and cultural core of Lahaina while weaving ancestral knowledge into the island's rebuilding.

FEMA to Donate Kīlohana Modular Units to Maui County (August 22, 2026)

FEMA announced plans to donate the 167-unit Kīlohana modular housing project to Maui County, with the county planning to convert the temporary units into permanent housing. The Kīlohana complex, located in Kahului, has been housing Lahaina fire survivors displaced by the August 2023 wildfires. This transition from temporary to permanent housing represents a significant step in long-term recovery, addressing the ongoing need for stable housing for hundreds of families still living in temporary accommodations three years after the disaster. The transfer will relieve FEMA of ongoing management responsibilities while giving Maui County greater control over the future of the site.

Ho'okumu Hou Application Deadline Extended to December 31, 2026

The previously reported August 31, 2026 deadline for the Ho'okumu Hou housing rebuild and reimbursement program has been superseded. Maui County extended the application period to December 31, 2026, as announced in an August 5, 2026 update. Alongside the extension, the county expanded eligibility to households earning up to 140% of Area Median Income, following updated federal income limits. The program provides up to $400,000 per household for rebuilding or reimbursement of rebuilding costs for eligible Lahaina fire survivors whose primary residences were destroyed in the August 2023 wildfires. Nearly 600 families have completed rebuilds, and more than 400 additional homes are under construction.

Note: The August 31, 2026 deadline previously reported in earlier updates has been superseded by this extension.

Front Street Normal Operations Continue Post-Lala

Front Street from Pāpalaua Street to Shaw Street, along with Dickenson and Prison streets, continues to operate normally after reopening on August 1. The roadway, sidewalks, railings, and landscaping held up well through Hurricane Lala's passage, with no significant damage reported. The restored corridor is now seeing regular vehicle and pedestrian traffic, a critical step in returning commercial activity to Lahaina's historic core.