Front Street Apartments tenants sue to enforce affordable rent commitment

Tenants at Front Street Apartments in Lahaina filed a lawsuit today in the Second Circuit Court against Front Street Affordable Housing Partners (FSA), the developer of the affordable housing complex. The lawsuit challenges FSA’s attempt to convert the property into market-rate rentals in violation of the 51-year commitment to keep rents affordable to low-income tenants. If allowed, the conversion would almost certainly result in the loss of housing for almost all of Front Street’s residents, while increasing the value of the complex for the owner by up to $44 million—a complex that was developed with over $20 million of public money and benefits.