Housing in Hawaii
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🏝️πŸ”₯🏠 Wahala for Maui: Fire Catastrophe Wreck Tourism, People Suffer for Job and House

⬇️ Pidgin ⬇️ ⬇️ Black American Slang ⬇️ English

As di Maui Island dey try make headway after di ogbonge fire disaster wey happun on August 8, di kain trouble wey follow di beauty spot tourism be like film. Dis na di deadliest fire wey America don see for dia modern history. Di place wey before dey buzz with visitors, now quiet as e dey try recover from di wahala wey di fire cause. E be like say e go take dem like four years before dem fit see di kain crowd dem dey see before di fire.

Oga Daniel Nahoβ€˜opiβ€˜i, wey be di oga at the top for Hawaii Tourism Authority, yarn say as e be now, di tori never end, and dem dey work tire to bring out plans wey go help fix things. Dem don throway salute give marketing and community support to help di situation small. E follow during one webinar wey dem title β€œPathways to Recovery: Tourism Updates”, say di road to make everything come back to as e dey, go long well well.

Di wahala wey dis fire bring, e touch everywhere for Maui, especially di West side wey be say na there like 15% of di state tourism money dey come from. E don make di money wey suppose dey enter from tourism drop kakaraka. Even di hotels wey some people wey fire affect and relief workers dey stay, still no see better increase for people wey dey come since October, if you check am against wetin dem see for 2022. This one affect di whole Hawaii self.

As for Lahaina Harbor, e no sure when e go open, and even though some cruise ships dey manage dock for Port Kahului, no be all di time e dey free, and some big ships no even fit enter there. They dey think to use Maβ€˜alaea Harbor as new place wey go fit receive international cruise vessels, but the yarn about approval and to check the place wella, no be small thing.

E heavy to talk say over 7,000 people for Maui don file for unemployment, some na because of the fire, others na di tourism palava wey follow am. People wey fire chook hand for their pocket serious-serious, e be like say if care no dey, dem fit no get where to stay again in less than six months.

HTA don dey part of di whole wahala since di fire start, as dem stop their marketing runs that time and focus on how to move visitors commot from danger. Later for August, dem start to dey advertise again and even plan to spend $2.6 million to help market Maui for U.S. dem.

They don gather people together to form one kind group wey go dey respond to disaster, and for Maui, dem don follow for plenty community meetings and even join for training on how to dey sensitive to culture matters.

For one contract wey reach about $99,659.65, dem don give one company, SMS Research & Marketing Services Inc., work to help them plan well well for how dem go carry talk reach people and how to make tourism stand gidigba again. This company suppose help HTA people and their group to gather correct info, make plans, and bring out ogbonge advice for future.

One man wey sabi the tourism work well well, Oga Keith Vieira, dey talk say make dem put more money for tourism. E talk say the message wey dem dey send, wey be say make people come but make dem no forget to care for Hawaii and e people, suppose balance with the one wey go show visitors pepper, make them dey rush come.

Oga Vieira still yarn say e good make dem put like 3% to 5% of the money wey dey enter or 10% to 15% of di hotel tax, for marketing. If no be so, we no go fit compete with other places like Caribbean wey people wey no fit go Europe or Middle East dey run go now.

Nahoβ€˜opiβ€˜i talk say di recovery for Maui tourism na must because na from there Maui people dey chop, and if e no go well, e go affect the whole Hawaii.

Dem don do one kind study wey show say plenty people wey dey work for visitor industry, if dem no see work for like six months, e be like say dem no go fit stay for their house again. About 22% of dem fit manage crash with another family or find new place, but the rest, na so so problem.

To make matters worse, plenty hotels for West Maui dey use their rooms to house people wey fire don affect, this one don cause another kind wahala because e

no easy for people to dey live inside hotel with their family, or dey move from one place to another all the time.

Di hotel matter na double-edged sword. E good small say people wey fire affect and relief workers dey full hotel, but no be long term solution because e no dey bring enough work for people and no dey bring in visitor spending wey businesses dey rely on. And if visitors dey hear say hotel full with people wey dey take refuge, e fit make them think twice to come.

Oga Tokioka, one of the top men for DBEDT, talk say di kind yawa wey lack of house don cause for West Maui, plus the cost to keep fire survivors for hotel, na something wey Hawaii never see before. E talk say hotel money for Hawaii dey far more than other places like Louisiana.

If you check the mathematics, the cost to keep one person for hotel for Maui per month na like $10,600. When you multiply am by 2,500 people wey need space, the money go reach like $26.5 million for one month. This one pass power, nobody fit sustain am, not even the state, FEMA or Red Cross.

One group wey dem call Lahaina Strong don even start to collect signature for petition, dem dey tell Maui Mayor Richard Bissen make e use him power make e change short-term rentals to long-term ones for at least one year so that people wey di fire affect for Lahaina go get where to stay.

Oga Tokioka and other big men dey plan to meet with Maui vacation rental owners to see how dem fit help with housing for people wey disaster affect. Dem also want make dem find one correct price wey go make sense for the rental owners and FEMA wey dey pay the bills.

The matter long, but dem dey try make sure say what happen for West Maui no happen anywhere again for the country. The kind situation wey happen here na rare case, so the housing units available no reach at all, and the money to get dem na die.

Di whole of Maui, especially the tourism sector, still dey struggle to stand well, as di fire disaster and economic fallout follow one another. Recovery go take time, but people dey put head together to find way forward.


NOW IN BLACK AMERICAN SLANG

🏝️πŸ”₯🏠 Maui’s Got Major Heat After Wildfires: Tourist Spots Hit Hard, Jobs and Homes on the Line

Listen, Maui’s got some serious drama right now. After that massive fire on August 8, which was like nothing we’ve seen before, the whole island’s vibe is off. It used to be all about the tourists, but now it’s quiet as can be, and we’re looking at a long stretch, like four years, before things might get back to the good old days.

Daniel Nahoβ€˜opiβ€˜i, the big shot over at Hawaii Tourism Authority, is saying it’s not gonna be a quick fix. In a “Pathways to Recovery: Tourism Updates” session, he laid it out there: they’re working on getting things back on track, but it’s gonna be a minute before everything’s smooth again. With Maui being a heavyweight in the state’s tourism game, pulling in about 15% of the dough, you know this slump is hitting everybody’s pockets.

Hotel spots are still quiet. Even with the local folks and relief crews needing a place to crash since October, they ain’t seeing the numbers they had back in 2022. And with Lahaina Harbor out of commission and the cruise ships having a hard time finding a spot at Port Kahului, it’s all kinds of complicated.

We’re talking over 7,000 people out of work in Maui, thanks to both the fire and the dip in visitors. And the real talk is, without a job, many might be seeing their homes slipping away in less than half a year if we don’t get this turned around.

HTA had to hit the pause button on selling the island to tourists when the flames were doing their thing. By the end of August, they started pushing ads again and decided to drop a cool $2.6 million on getting Maui’s name out there to the U.S. crowd.

They got a squad together just for this disaster response, hitting up community meetings and getting everyone on the same page about the culture and how to be all respectful.

HTA’s throwing about $99,659.65 at SMS Research & Marketing Services Inc. so they can whip up some smart talk and a plan to get tourism back on its feet. They’ll be holding court in Maui, talking to the people, and figuring out the best moves to make.

Now, Keith Vieira, a guru in the hospitality scene, is saying we need to pump more cash into letting folks know Maui’s still the place to be. He’s about making sure the message is clear: we want you here, but you gotta respect the scene. Vieira’s pushing for a slice of the tourism money or hotel tax to be used for marketing because if we don’t stay fresh, we’re gonna lose out to other spots like the Caribbean.

Nahoβ€˜opiβ€˜i’s stressing how crucial it is to get Maui back to its gloryβ€”not just for the tourists, but for the folks who live here. ‘Cause if the cash flow dries up, it’s not just a Maui problem; it’s gonna hit the whole state.

A housing study is saying if you’re out of work for six months in the tourism game, keeping a roof over your head is gonna be tough. Only about 22% might have a plan B, but for the rest, it’s looking shaky.

With lots of hotel rooms in West Maui filled up with folks who lost their homes to the fire, it’s a mess. Staying in a hotel ain’t the move for the long haul, especially for families. It doesn’t do much for the local economy either, especially for the little guys like the mom-and-pop shops.

According to Tokioka from DBEDT, paying for fire survivors to live in hotels is costing a fortune, and it’s not a game plan that’s gonna work forever. We’re talking big bucks, like $10,600 a month for just one room, which could run up to $26.5 million a month for everyone who needs it.

So, there’s this group called Lahaina Strong that’s stepping up, trying to get the mayor to turn those short-stay spots into long-term homes for the people of Lahaina who got hit by the fire.

Officials are talking to folks who own vacation rentals to figure out a way to make things right for everyone involved, especially since FEMA’s picking up the check and has to make it make sense to Congress.

Bottom line: Maui’s going through it right now, with the fire mess and the struggle to get tourists back. But there’s a plan, and there’s hope, and that’s what we’re holding onto. 🏝️πŸ”₯🏠


NOW IN ENGLISH

🏝️πŸ”₯🏠 Trouble in Maui: Fire Disaster Ravages Tourism, Jobs and Housing in Peril

The island of Maui is grappling with the aftermath of the devastating fire that struck on August 8, a disaster of unprecedented scale in America’s modern history. The once bustling tourist hotspot is now eerily silent, facing a potential four-year wait to see visitor numbers return to pre-fire levels.

Daniel Nahoβ€˜opiβ€˜i, the head honcho at Hawaii Tourism Authority, admits the journey towards recovery is far from over, with concerted efforts underway to revitalize the sector. During a webinar titled “Pathways to Recovery: Tourism Updates,” he emphasized the long road ahead, despite marketing initiatives and community support aimed at mitigating the crisis.

The fire has hit Maui hard, particularly its western region which generates around 15% of the state’s tourism revenue. This has led to a steep decline in the influx of tourism dollars. Hotels accommodating displaced residents and relief workers haven’t seen a significant uptick in bookings since October, a stark contrast to the 2022 figures, affecting the entire Hawaiian economy.

Uncertainty shrouds the reopening of Lahaina Harbor, and while some cruise ships have been docking at Port Kahului, it’s not a consistent solution, with larger vessels unable to access it. Alternative plans to utilize Maβ€˜alaea Harbor for international cruise vessels are underway, but the discussions around approval and readiness are complex.

Over 7,000 Maui residents have applied for unemployment, a number influenced both by the fire and the subsequent downturn in tourism. Those severely impacted by the fire face the grim prospect of homelessness within six months if the situation doesn’t improve.

HTA paused its marketing campaigns to prioritize safety and relocation of tourists during the fire. By August’s end, they recommenced promotions, planning to invest $2.6 million to bolster Maui’s image across U.S. markets.

A task force has been formed to address disaster response, with HTA actively participating in community meetings and cultural sensitivity training.

A contract worth approximately $99,659.65 has been awarded to SMS Research & Marketing Services Inc. to assist in devising effective communication strategies and robust tourism recovery plans. This includes gathering critical data and offering expert recommendations.

Tourism expert Keith Vieira suggests increasing the marketing budget to encourage tourism while promoting responsible visitation to Hawaii. Vieira advocates for allocating 3% to 5% of tourism revenue or 10% to 15% of the hotel tax to marketing to compete with destinations like the Caribbean, now more accessible to travelers avoiding Europe or the Middle East.

Nahoβ€˜opiβ€˜i emphasizes that Maui’s recovery is essential not just for tourism, but for the livelihood of its residents, and its failure would have statewide repercussions.

A study indicates that without employment in the visitor industry for six months, many would struggle to maintain housing. Around 22% could stay with other families or find alternative housing, but the rest face serious challenges.

Additionally, many West Maui hotels are housing fire victims, creating further complications as living in a hotel is not a viable long-term solution for families and does not contribute to the tourism-driven economy.

According to Oga Tokioka from DBEDT, the housing crisis and the cost of keeping fire survivors in hotels are unprecedented for Hawaii, especially given the high rates compared to places like Louisiana.

The monthly cost to house an individual in a Maui hotel is about $10,600. For 2,500 people in need, the expense could reach $26.5 million monthly, an unsustainable figure for the state, FEMA, or the Red Cross.

A local initiative, Lahaina Strong, has started a petition urging Maui Mayor Richard Bissen to convert short-term rentals to long-term housing to provide relief for those affected in Lahaina.

Key stakeholders are engaging with vacation rental owners to facilitate housing solutions that are financially viable for both the owners and FEMA.

The situation in Maui, particularly in the tourism industry, remains precarious as the region confronts the double blow of the fire’s immediate impact and the broader economic aftermath. Recovery efforts are underway, with a collective resolve to find a path forward. 🏝️πŸ”₯🏠

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