“It could significantly reduce homelessness”

After a devastating fire in 2023, residents who lost their homes in Lahaina, Hawaii, have received an offer of temporary housing in a state-built tiny community, The New York Times reported.

Many Lahaina residents found themselves in a bind after the disaster. Housing in the region was already in crisis as prices soared due to tourism and homelessness rates were among the highest in the country.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which normally provides financial assistance to disaster victims, was recently the target of cuts by the Trump administration, and many survivors of the Lahaina fire are ineligible for aid.

This resulted in a large proportion of residents being relegated to hotel accommodation due to fears that they would not be able to find or afford a long-term housing solution.

This is where the state of Hawaii intervened. He founded Ka Laʻi Ola, a community of 450 houses intended to house around 1,500 people. To quickly ramp up housing delivery, the state asked five companies from multiple jurisdictions to provide modular tiny homes that could be built immediately, similar to those in this California community.

Because they are tiny houses, their utility needs are low, making energy and water supplies more cost-effective and having a low impact on the environment.

The path to this solution was not entirely smooth. The land on which the community was founded was originally intended for the housing of Native Hawaiians because it is ceded territory. However, under the previous development plan, it would have taken 17 years before anyone could move in.

Under this new plan, Gov. Josh Green has proposed immediate development and use of the land to house Lahaina fire victims for five years. The community will then be handed over to the Hawaiian natives. This means it will still be available quicker if everything goes well.

There are concerns about whether the homes chosen for the project will withstand local weather long-term, but this is still progress.

Dr. JoonYup Park, an assistant professor at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa who focuses on housing, had some concerns, but ultimately told the Times that if the state can convert the community into permanent housing, “it could significantly reduce homelessness.”

Subscribe to our free newsletter to receive simple tips save more And waste lessand don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.