Maui United Way invests $1.5M in Lahaina Community Land Trust for long-term resilience

Maui United Way has made a significant financial commitment to the Lahaina Community Land Trust with an investment of $1.5 million, designed to help protect and preserve the lands of Lahaina for future generations. This funding aims to support LCLT’s mission of ensuring that Lahaina’s lands remain in the hands of its local residents, with an emphasis on safeguarding affordable housing, cultural spaces and ecosystems. 

The Lahaina Community Land Trust was established in response to the devastation caused by the recent fires, with the goal of providing long-term solutions to keep Lahaina’s lands within the community. LCLT’s programs focus on preserving affordable housing, assisting with insurance gap support, conserving important natural and cultural areas, and fostering economic development rooted in Lahaina’s values and history. 

Mikey Burke, President of LCLT’s Board of Directors, shared her gratitude for the partnership:  “This financial commitment from Maui United Way empowers LCLT to accelerate our mission to keep Lahaina lands in Lahaina hands. By safeguarding a land base for the community — by the community — we ensure that future generations can experience the rich history and magic of being raised by this place. This partnership further exemplifies the profound impact of collaborative stewardship for community resilience.”

The $1.5 million investment from Maui United Way is a critical part of a broader funding effort that includes land acquisition and resources for preserving Lahaina’s vital spaces. LCLT’s approach is rooted in the community’s vision, with residents guiding decisions through advisory boards and governance structures that ensure the land trust remains responsive to the needs of Lahaina’s diverse population. 

This collaborative partnership between LCLT, Maui United Way, and several other Hawai‘i-rooted philanthropic organizations ensures that the investments made in Lahaina’s healing will support permanent solutions to help Lahaina heal in the aftermath of the 2023 fires. 

So far, federal and state governments have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on shelter and temporary housing, which provide critical short-term shelter for families with nowhere else to go but are not designed to help families secure stable housing long term. That is, in part, why LCLT and a coalition of philanthropic partners including Maui United Way are focused on imagining – and directly investing – in a future for Lahaina that permanently benefits both individual families and community stability. 

By leveraging a Community Land Trust model, LCLT aims to keep housing affordable for local families, with a focus on preserving land in perpetuity for the people who call Lahaina home. LCLT works with a two-part mission: to keep Lahaina home and keep Lahaina lands in Lahaina hands. LCLT’s Insurance Gap Program, for example, helps homeowners close the gap between insurance payouts and construction costs, allowing underinsured residents to rebuild and stay in Lahaina. Meanwhile, the trust also offers homeowners the option to sell to the trust instead of investors, allowing LCLT to hold the land permanently and sell the homes on top to Lahaina residents at affordable prices.