The Lahaina Community Land Trust is announcing a partnership with several Maui real estate professionals who recognize that the rebuilding and re-envisioning of Lahaina — with a future where all kamaʻāina families can thrive — demands thoughtful and caring collaboration among all. 

The Lahaina Community Land Trust (LCLT) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that was born in the wake of the 2023 Maui wildfires, to prevent displacement and build generational security for Lahaina’s kamaʻāina families.

In the aftermath of the fire, LCLT has urged that residential real estate transactions within the Lahaina impact zone must be treated with special care, noting that: “Numerous studies from across the continental US have shown that natural disasters can fuel real estate speculation and acute rises in housing prices, widening wealth inequality and driving displacement for years after the brunt of disasters’ physical devastation.”

“Lahaina Community Land Trust has received so many calls from folks who lost everything in the fire, are tired, and think they have no options left except to sell their land, even though thatʻs not what they want to do,” said Autumn Ness, LCLT Executive Director.  “In some cases, we have successfully connected them to resources that keep them home after all. We are so grateful to the real estate agents who have worked with homeowners, LCLT and our partners to actually prevent the distress-driven sale of land.” 

Six individual real estate professionals and one team of agents have partnered with LCLT and pledged to recognize a collective kuleana to minimize harm in the aftermath of trauma and protect the long-term community stability of Lahaina.

The pledge recognizes that as Lahaina residents continue to rebuild after trauma, there will be some who have no choice but to sell their longtime homes, sometimes solely because of coercive forces such as financial hardship.

If selling land is a last resort, the pledge recognizes that real estate professionals can serve as a safety net that connects homeowners with resources to help keep their families on their land.

These real estate agents will proactively recommend sellers of residential real estate in the Lahaina impact area reach out to nonprofit housing partners including the LCLT, Hawai‘i Housing Resilience (HHR) and Hawai‘i Community Lending (HCL) for support and to explore all available options that can promote financial stability. Only after exhausting all options can homeowners make informed decisions of what’s best for them and their family’s needs.

The LCLT has identified the following real estate professionals who have recognized this kuleana: 

• Deanna Davis and the entire ‘Ohana Real Estate Team, who work with Compass. In the spirit of ‘ohana, the team’s key goal is developing relationships and building trust, caring for clients in the same manner that they would treat their own ‘ohana. 
• Traci Marie Bean, a real estate agent with Homes & Gardens Real Estate, who grew up in Lahaina and is a graduate of Lahainaluna High school.
• Ethan Julian Kaleiopu, a real estate agent with Vylla Home, who comes from a family deeply rooted in Lahaina and lost his home in the fires. Besides assisting in transactions as an agent, he now dedicates his time toward helping families navigate the rebuilding process through Hawai‘i Housing Resilience (HHR). 
• Samantha Kramer, a real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty Maui, a fifth-generation Maui native with roots in Lahaina who is deeply committed to helping  families access the resources and options when facing important decisions. 
• Brent Matsui, a real estate agent with Compass, who was born and raised in Lahaina and allows a deep connection to the island and its people to guide his work.
• Tamra Vasquez, a real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty Maui, who was born and raised in Lahaina and is dedicated to building strong relationships and trust within the community, while providing valuable and helpful guidance to families.
• Kela Yzeiraj, a real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty Maui, who brings a holistic background in geology, farming and natural health to her work helping families thrive.

LCLT maintains that real estate agents can play a crucial role in supporting the recovery and resilience of the Lahaina community, ensuring that the handling of residential real estate in the impact area reflects a commitment to justice, compassion, and sustainable growth.

Although LCLT’s No. 1 goal is to fill financial gaps that enable families to rebuild and stay on their land, the land trust is also positioned to make offers on properties to bring them into community ownership, thanks to generous support from public and private funders. 

To learn more about the pledge and how to join this partnership, contact info@lahainacommunitylandtrust.org.