Following the wildfires across the Hawaiian islands, residents and politicians are voicing concerns that property damage could permanently displace the native islanders. 

Details: A video posted on Instagram by Kāko'o Haleakalā, a group working to “protect and preserve the Land and native species” of Hawaii, condemned developers for contacting residents and offering to purchase the land in the fire-damaged areas of Lahaina on the island of Maui. Coverage from the Washington Post (Lean Left bias) stated that fires destroyed nearly 3,000 structures in the area, displacing “residents who can trace their family history here back generations” and worsening a pre-existing housing affordability crisis in Lahaina.

Key Quotes: Hawaii Governor Josh Green (D) stated, “I’ve reached out to the Attorney General to explore options to do a moratorium on any sales of properties that have been damaged or destroyed. Moreover, I would caution people that it’s going to be a very long time, before any growth, or housing can be built. And so, you would be pretty poorly informed if you try to steal land from our people and then build here.” Green added, “we’re hopeful to create a memorial for the people of the state of Hawai‘i in this site. We’ll also invest state resources to preserve and protect this land for our people; not for any development, for our people locally.”

How the Media Covered It: Outlets across the spectrum are covering the wildfires frequently, but specific reporting on housing and developers is more common from left-rated sources.