Kaluaʻehu

Today, Lahaina stands at an inflection point. This is an invitation for the community to become a Kaluaʻehu partner. Together, we can transform our Lahaina economy into a regenerative force to help our community thrive — now and forever.

What does it mean to love lahaina?

Mahalo for seeking to understand and offset the impact that tourism has on our home. We hope to shed light on the fact that, while the visitor industry drives our economy, it is also directly responsible for rapidly rising property values and forces Maui families to compete with offshore wealth for homes.

But together, if we all do our part, we can keep our families housed — and create generational stability that lasts forever: 

  • A contribution of $83/month would equal a donation of $1000 per/year.

  • A contribution of $1,000 by just 500 people purchases an entire land trust property.  

  • A contribution of $300 by 600 people fills the insurance gap to rebuild a Lahaina ‘ohana’s home lost in the fire.

Mahalo for your Support in keeping our lahaina ʻOhana home

Kaluaʻehu Visitor Stories

I’m happy to contribute to your worthy cause! My grandmother first visited Honolulu in 1913. My mom and I moved there in 1962 when I was 5 years old.  My first visit to Maui was in 1963 or 1964. Ka’anapali was mostly open space and quiet beaches.  Lahaina had its lush green sugarcane backdrop and still felt like a plantation/whaling village. I visited often in the ‘70s before moving.

The prevailing opinion at the time was that Maui couldn’t develop beyond a certain point because of the shortage of water. But development continued anyway.

After almost 45 years away, I visited Maui in March 2024. The devastation in Lahaina was heartbreaking. I wanted to wait and see how the community responded so I could see where the biggest needs were and which ones would have the longest lasting impact.  I was especially concerned about housing and real estate.  

I stumbled upon the Lahaina Community Land Trust.  Your mission intrigued me so I followed the LCLT website to learn more.  I was impressed with how the organization took shape, bringing in so many experts and advocates, local and national, to make the mission successful.  It didn’t take long to know that this was where I wanted my donations to go.

From afar, I cheer your successes and encourage you to keep working through the many challenges you face.  If I’m ever on island again, I’ll come see your work first hand.  In the meantime, keep up the great work!  I'll continue to donate throughout the years.  Yours is a long term commitment.  Mine will be too. Mahalo!

— Marilyn, Minnesota

Y’all are doing such amazing and important work. Keep it up! 🤩

— Erika, Seattle WA

This is to honor my beloved Lahaina, where I escaped to at least twice weekly during my decade of living on my precious Maui in the 1970’s.

There is no other place that had the pure joyful magic that Lahaina held for me in my heart.

I’m still so devastated at this tremendous loss. I am trying to look forward to the future of her rebirth!

— Cynthia, Taylor TX

Our family will be back visiting Maui in December.

It is so nice to know this organization exists so we can help in some way.

Peace and love to everyone in this beautiful place. May everyone be able to rebuild soon.

— Jann, Omaha NE

Aloha,

I like to make donations to organizations in reciprocity. From my heart to yours. Thank you for allowing us to share in the beauty of your ʻĀina.

I was part of the wildfires here in my hometown of Santa Rosa CA. I didn’t loose my home but many people I know did. My community where I’m born and raised was forever changed.

Although, I might we might not have walked in the same shoes we might have walked similar paths.

— Michele, California

WE LOVE YOU MAUI!!!!

— Dean, Sacramento CA

My goal with this modest donation is that it helps local Lahaina families rebuild and stay in their community.

— Crystal, Seattle WA

Love your island and having visited several times, I hope the community can rebuild for its people. Tourists, like myself, need to support your efforts. Blessings to your efforts.

— Robert, Davis CA

FAQ

  • Unfortunately, we aren’t the ones deciding how our tax dollars get spent — and whether the money generated from West Maui’s tourism businesses plays a direct role in helping Lahaina families rebuild. For example, in the year after the fire, the State of Hawaiʻi spent $357 million on hotels for fire survivors and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) spent another $295 million to temporarily rent homes and condominiums. Said differently, that’s enough money to buy (or rebuild) 650 $1 million homes – more than 80% of the approximately 800 owner-occupied homes lost in Lahaina.

    Similarly, even though Maui generates millions of dollars in revenue through hotel room and sales taxes, there’s no guarantee that those dollars will go toward projects the Lahaina community needs either. As of late 2024, for instance, the state estimated there was a nearly$300 million gap in residential losses after the fire that weren’t covered by insurers.

    In contrast, every single dollar that goes toward this collective partnership through Kalua‘ehu will go toward filling financial gaps to allow families to rebuild and keeping Lahaina lands in Lahaina hands.

  • Every single dollar raised through Kalua‘ehu will go toward our programs that provide grants to homeowners to help them rebuild and create permanently affordable homes on LCLT land. Thanks to the support of generous funders, LCLT’s day-to-day operating expenses are covered through 2026.

  • All donors will receive a tax-deductible receipt for tax reporting purposes. We advise you to consult with your tax advisor on any further questions you may have seeing as each business may be structured differently.

  • Although it’s still under legal review, our weighted lottery system will give preference to: ​

    • Lahaina residents displaced by the fire​

    • Folks who grew up in Lahaina​

    • Native Hawaiian and multi-generational kamaʻāina to Lahaina

    LCLT will partner with sellers on buy-back clauses to ensure that families can return to their land once a home is built or children/grandchildren have first right of refusal.

  • Our Keep Lahaina Home Insurance Gap Program is made possible by a powerful partnership that helps us support families who need financial assistance to rebuild. While LCLT provides funding and stewards long-term protections on homes that are rebuilt, nonprofit mortgage lender Hawai‘i Community Lending (HCL) vets and qualifies all applicants for the program and helps homeowners better understand their financial positions. The Hoʻōla iā Mauiakama Disaster Long Term Recovery Group (Hoʻōla LTRG), meanwhile, works in collaboration with LCLT and HCL to help homeowners navigate the permitting and rebuilding process by coordinating resources, including grant funding, material sourcing and in-kind labor.