Deal will keep rent affordable at Front Street Apartments

A housing complex in Lahaina where residents have fought for years to keep rent under market rates will stay affordable for the next 75 years under an agreement between the project owners and the state.

Owners of the Front Street Apartments dropped an appeal over a judge’s ruling in 2020 that Front Street Affordable Housing Partners was obligated to keep rents affordable through 2051.

“The incredible stress for so many people, not knowing if they would lose their home, has really taken its toll,” Front Street resident and plaintiff Mike Tuttle said in a news release on Thursday. “It’s hard to put into words the level of joy and relief we all feel now that it’s over, but it’s extremely sad that it had to come to this.

“I thank God for all the wonderful people at Hawaiʻi Appleseed, Lawyers for Equal Justice, the lawyers at Hogan Lovells, and attorney Lance Collins, for saving this affordable housing complex.”

Residents of the Front Street Apartments have been advocating to keep the apartments affordable since 2017 when they learned that the owner planned to raise rents to market rate.