“Keeping Lahaina Lands in Lahaina Hands.”
In the aftermath of the devastating August 2023 wildfires on Maui, residents of Lahaina faced a second threat: the possibility that families unable to rebuild would be forced to sell their properties, opening the door to outside investors and permanently changing the character of their community.
The Lahaina Community Land Trust (LCLT) emerged as a community-led response, working to protect local ownership, preserve cultural heritage, and ensure that Lahaina's recovery is shaped by the people who call it home.
Using the community land trust model, LCLT acquires property and holds the land in permanent community stewardship. Families can purchase homes at below-market prices while the trust retains ownership of the underlying land through long-term, renewable leases. Homeowners build equity, while resale restrictions keep the homes affordable for future generations.
The organization also operates the Keep Lahaina Home Insurance Gap Program, helping families whose insurance payments fall short of rebuilding costs. In exchange for assistance, homeowners agree to provisions that help preserve affordability for future local families.
LCLT's mission extends beyond housing. Its community-led approach recognizes the deep connections between land, Hawaiian culture, environmental stewardship, and collective well-being. Protecting Lahaina's ʻāina (land) is inseparable from protecting the community's identity and its ability to determine its own future.
By December 2025, LCLT had purchased 13 properties, representing approximately 20% of qualifying individual property sales in Lahaina since the fire.
Lahaina Community Land Trust offers a compelling model of disaster recovery rooted in community ownership. Rather than simply rebuilding what was lost, it is working to ensure that the people and culture of Lahaina remain at the center of what comes next.
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