From housing to medical care, Maui business leaders are wrestling with issues of recovery.
Pacific Business News recently held a panel discussion to learn more about the experiences of the island’s business community since the deadly August wildfires on Maui. Panelists represented a range of interests, such as workforce development, construction, tourism and health care.
Kerry Watson, interim CEO of Maui Health, said the hospital initially geared up for a mass casualty scenario, but only a few patients came in right after the fire. What he has seen instead is a spike in demand for mental health services.
Maui Health established outreach clinics in West Maui. Through its Maui Health Foundation, it is also building 16 homes to support staff who lost everything.
Debbie Cabebe, CEO of Maui Economic Opportunity Inc., said her organization has working with the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation to help thousands of people with housing or rental assistance.
Michelle Collins owns the small business Da Kine Paints and chairs the trade organization, Construction Industry Maui. In the short term, her business has lost clients with Lahaina locations.
In the long term, she and CIM have been assessing what it will take to rebuild Lahaina and their estimate right now is a 10 to 12-year process. That’s based on how much work needs to be done, the time it takes to get permits, the availability of materials and more.
However, the tricky part will be that Maui doesn’t have enough housing for the labor force needed to rebuild the housing lost in the fires.
