Mayor Richard Bissen wasted no time with his bill to quickly phase out thousands of short-term vacation rentals.

I’m anxious to hear the mayor’s vision of how Maui residents can afford to rent or purchase one of these properties.

A one- or two-bedroom condo can easily sell for $750,000. With a mortgage payment of over $4,500 plus the always-rising monthly HOA fees in the high three figures, what young, growing Maui family can afford this living expense?

The mayor’s proposed rental conversion bill will bring years of costly litigation with an uncertain outcome. It provides no swift or affordable result for the housing that Maui desperately needs today.

Would it not be more appropriate for the mayor to employ his efforts to other possibilities? Why not build family-lifestyle mobile home parks? This could be a win-win for all.

Tourists could have their vacation rentals, the government would get all their tax vacation income, and our Maui businesses would have employees who could find affordable housing.

Plus, it would give our ohana improved mental health with some financial breathing room, allowing them to save money for their future dream home.

Phil Winter

Kihei