Sessions permit the people's input on future of Maui's land

The Maui News
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
By STAN FRANCO

About 12 months ago, a group of Mauians called HLP (Housing for the Local Person) met with County Council Member Danny Mateo concerning his idea for an ordinance to address the affordable housing crisis of Maui County.

He encouraged us to present our ideas to the council's Housing and Human Services Committee. Throughout the deliberations of the County Council on this important piece of legislation, we have monitored and testified to how we felt the affordable housing ordinance should be written.

About six months ago, HLP concluded that the County Council was hearing a lot from real estate developers through their lobbyists and from other interested parties but not directly from the common man and woman. There could be many reasons for this - fear of testifying in front of the council, working and not having the time to appear at 9 a.m. council meetings, or just feeling that they could not make a difference anyway because no one would listen to them.

HLP felt that it was paramount that the County Council heard from the common man and woman of Maui because they would be the primary beneficiaries of this new law. So we decided to have talk story sessions throughout Maui. I'm sorry that we will not get to Molokai or Lanai. We wanted to hear how the local person is faring in this overpriced real estate market. The best way to do that, we believe, was to go to where people lived.

Because of a lack of funds, we could not be extravagant in publicizing the whys and hows of what we wanted to accomplish. We approached the Maui Catholic Churches to use their facilities in various communities on Maui. They said yes. Then we approached the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic men's organization, for seed money, and they said yes.

We were then ready to go out and meet the people.

June 29, we met with the people of Hana and got their stories about how the lack of affordable housing has impacted their lives. Our second session was July 7 at Holy Rosary Church in Paia. Thursday, HLP will be at Christ the King Church in Kahului, July 20 at St. Theresa's Church in Kihei, and July 27 at Maria Lanakila Church in Lahaina. All sessions start at 6 p.m.

So what happens at these talk story sessions on affordable housing? We start with prayer, an explanation of the process we are using, a short talk by Council Member Mateo on the proposed affordable housing ordinance and then we invite Maui's people to share their stories. There is no debate in these sessions because the centerpiece of the evening is listening to the people's stories.

Many of Maui's organizations are bringing in high-powered housing experts to tell us how to solve our housing crisis. We believe that the solutions are in the stories of Maui's people. We trust their wisdom.

Once we have completed all the talk story sessions, we will write a report and get it to the Maui County Council, to Maui state legislators and to the general community.

Because our island of Maui is seen as highly desirable by the world's rich, we are witnessing many buying up our aina. We are hearing their plans to develop those lands into expensive real estate. The only way to change this direction is with our voices.

HLP is providing a way to share our stories with respect and honor at the "talk story sessions." I will see you on July 7, 13 or 20. Please call me at 879-0912 if you want more information.

Stan Franco is a longtime advocate for affordable housing and one of the organizers of Housing for the Local Person. He is a deacon at St. Theresa's Church and lives in Kihei.

(read original article here)