Richard Bissen

The last year in Maui County marked the deadliest fire in modern U.S. history, and Mayor Richard Bissen described the state of the county as "heartbroken" in his annual address. HPR's Catherine Cluett Pactol reports from Maui Nui.

To mark six months since the Aug. 8 wildfires destroyed more than 2,000 structures and killed 100 people, The Conversation sat down with Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen earlier this week to talk about the work ahead. Bissen said his top concern for West Maui is mental health — with a lot of that linked to uncertainty and anxiety over housing.

The Conversation is broadcasting live from Lahaina, Maui today as residents mark six months since the wildfires destroyed more than 2,000 structures and killed 100 people on Aug. 8.

Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen says a site selected to hold debris from last year's wildfires that devastated Lahaina will not permanently store it. Instead, the debris will be at the Olowalu site south of Lahaina only until a permanent spot is identified and a landfill built there. Bissen says the site is necessary so the debris can be removed from Lahaina and residents can return.

A news release said Amos Lonokailua-Hewett brings years of experience and expertise in emergency work as the new administrator for the Maui Emergency Management Agency.

After hearing more than five hours of testimony, the Maui County Council voted in favor of a bill that encourages vacation unit owners to rent to fire victims on a long-term basis. Mayor Richard Bissen said those who participate would receive a 100% real property tax exemption. A second reading of the bill is scheduled for Dec. 15. HPR's Catherine Cluett Pactol reports.

Mauiʻs housing shortage is in crisis. As Lahaina residents are shuffled between temporary housing options, calls are getting louder to convert short-term rentals into long-term housing. What would that take? And is it even possible? HPR's Catherine Cluett Pactol reports.

Three months after the August wildfire, a group of Maui community members are taking a stand at Kāʻanapali Beach to secure long-term housing. Thousands of Lahaina residents displaced by the fire continue to live in hotels and other temporary housing.

Mayor Richard Bissen says workers are ready to return to their jobs while acknowledging that's not true for everyone. He says those who aren’t prepared to go back to work should talk to their employers and continue to seek the help and attention that they need. He says residents who have been staying in hotels after losing their homes won’t lose their lodging because of the reopening.

Hosts of residents who have been displaced by last month’s Lāhainā fire are eligible to receive up to $1,500 per month under a new program led by Maui County. County Mayor Richard Bissen at a news conference Tuesday unveiled what he called the “Host Families Program” in the latest housing effort for fire evacuees.