Hawaii Governor Pushes for Moratorium on Lahaina ‘Land Grab,’ Says Predatory Buyers Not Welcome

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green is pressing to block land transactions to outsiders in Lahaina after last week’s wildfire devastated the community and destroyed at least 2,000 buildings. 

Green emphasized his commitment at a press conference Wednesday to keep Lahaina in the hands of its local residents. The governor said he planned to work with Hawaii's attorney general to create a formal moratorium on outsiders buying up land. 

“My intention from start to finish is to make sure that no one is victimized from a land grab,” Green said, Associated Press reported.

Some Maui residents have expressed concern that developers will buy up land from desperate families grappling with the aftermath of the deadly wildfires, and transform the community into an area of expensive hotels and condos for tourists and second-home purchasers, AP reported.

During the press conference, Green warned would-be land buyers to not approach Lahaina residents with the intention of scooping up lots. 

“People right now are traumatized. Please do not approach them with an offer to buy their land. Do not approach their families saying they’ll be much better off if they make a deal — because we’re not going to allow it," he emphasized.

Lahaina is a popular tourist destination. The rising cost of living was already becoming a problem for locals even before the raging wildfire decimated the town.

Now that the historic community needs to rebuild from scratch, Green vowed to keep the town in the hands of locals. 

“We will be making sure that we do all that we can to prevent that land from falling into hands of people from the outside. It’s not easy to do in some cases,” Green said, according to CNBC. 

“You can be sure I will not be allowing anyone to build, or rezone, or do anything of that sort if they’ve taken advantage of anyone here," he emphasized.