Nani Medeiros, Youtube screenshot
Hawaii News Now 2
Hawaii’s chief housing officer, Nani Medeiros, announced plans to resign claiming that she and her family were threatened over a potential land grab by the state. Hawaii Governor Josh Green’s ‘Build Beyond Barriers’ program was created under an emergency proclamation to bypass local zoning and building regulations to quickly approve affordable housing.
Earth Justice and other groups criticized the proclamation and filed a lawsuit to block it.
Herman Andaya, head of Maui Emergency Management Agency, recently resigned from his office following criticism after he publicly defended his decision not to sound powerful warning sirens as a deadly wildfire ripped through Lahaina.
Governor Green called out former mixed martial arts fighter BJ Penn for leading an effort to “bully” Medeiros after he confronted her at a public meeting. Penn is an outspoken critic of the 36-member housing development approval panel that was created under an emergency proclamation in July, just before the fires broke out on Maui. Governor Green complained that it will be difficult to find a replacement for her now.