Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action

Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action
Name	Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action
Abbreviation	HAPA
Formation	2001
Type	Nonprofit
Headquarters	Kīhei, Maui, Hawaiʻi
Region served	Maui County; statewide Hawaiʻi

Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action is a community-based nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 2001 on Maui, Hawaiʻi, focused on land use, housing, energy, and agricultural policy. The organization engages in grassroots organizing, policy research, public education, and litigation to influence decisions affecting Maui County, Honolulu County, and other island communities such as Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi (island). HAPA partners with a range of civic groups, indigenous organizations, legal advocates, and national environmental networks to advance local control and resource stewardship.

History

HAPA was established in response to development pressures and policy debates on Maui after high-profile projects and planning controversies involving Mākena Resort, Wailea Resort, and statewide planning processes like the Hawaiʻi State Planning Act. Founders included community organizers and activists with links to Sierra Club chapters, 350.org, and local hui that emerged from campaigns against large-scale resort expansion. Early actions involved participation in county council hearings for the Maui County General Plan update, coalition building with organizations such as Kahea: The Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance and Hawaiian Islands Land Trust, and legal interventions related to zoning and shoreline setbacks under statutes including the State Land Use Law. Over time HAPA expanded from local campaign work into statewide policy advocacy connected to issues debated in the Hawaiʻi State Legislature and rulings from the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court.

Mission and Advocacy Focus

HAPA articulates a mission centered on protecting ʻāina and supporting resilient, locally driven communities. Its advocacy focus includes land use and coastal access matters tied to the Public Trust Doctrine as interpreted in cases such as Waiahole Ditch litigation, housing affordability debates linked to proposals like the Skyline (Honolulu) project, renewable energy transitions involving entities like Hawaiian Electric Industries, and food security aligned with organizations like ʻAha Pūnana Leo. The group frames its work within native Hawaiian rights issues related to ʻāina, water resources governed by the Commission on Water Resource Management (Hawaiʻi), and cultural practices associated with ʻohana and kanaka maoli stewardship.

Programs and Campaigns

HAPA runs programs combining community organizing, policy analysis, and litigation support. Campaigns have included opposition to large condominium and resort developments proposed by corporations such as Kyo-ya and investment firms involved in projects across Maui County and partnerships with legal teams that have filed amicus positions in cases before the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court. Their housing initiatives address accessory dwelling unit policies discussed at county planning commissions and state housing task forces like the Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corporation. Environmental campaigns target coastal erosion and shoreline management overseen by the Department of Land and Natural Resources (Hawaiʻi), and energy campaigns focus on interconnection rules administered by the Public Utilities Commission (Hawaiʻi). HAPA also collaborates with community groups during emergency responses to events such as 2018 Kīlauea eruption displacement efforts and with agricultural coalitions addressing programs by the Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau Federation.

Organizational Structure and Funding

HAPA is organized as a nonprofit with an executive director, staff teams for organizing and policy, and a volunteer board drawn from activists, community leaders, and professionals with experience in fields linked to the University of Hawaiʻi system. Funding streams historically include foundation grants from regional philanthropies and national funders supportive of environmental justice, individual donor contributions from residents of Maui and other islands, and contract revenue for community education projects administered in partnership with entities like Kamehameha Schools and county departments. The organization has also received support reported in tax filings commonly associated with 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) structures, and maintains alliances with advocacy networks such as Hawaiʻi Conservation Alliance and national NGOs like Natural Resources Defense Council for technical assistance.

Notable Achievements and Impact

HAPA has influenced several planning and regulatory outcomes through testimony, research, and litigation support. Successes include shaping amendments to county ordinances affecting shoreline setbacks and affordable housing provisions in Maui County Council deliberations, contributing to public campaigns that altered approvals for resort-scale development proposals, and participating in coalitions that secured stronger environmental review standards invoked under the Environmental Impact Statement process. The group’s advocacy has been cited in media coverage by outlets such as the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and regional reporting on land use conflicts in Maui News. HAPA’s work has also advanced community-based strategies for renewable energy adoption and localized food systems promoted by partners including Local Food Coalition of Hawaiʻi.

Criticisms and Controversies

HAPA has faced criticism from development interests, tourism industry stakeholders, and some elected officials who argue that its opposition to certain projects constrains economic growth promoted by entities like the Hawaiʻi Lodging & Tourism Association and investment groups. Opponents have accused the organization of NIMBYism in debates over housing density and alleged overreliance on litigation to block projects, claims reported in local commentary and contested in public hearings before county planning boards. Additionally, tensions have arisen between HAPA and some community organizations over alignment with particular policy strategies, reflecting broader debates involving Native Hawaiian organizations and statewide advocacy coalitions.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in Hawaiʻi Category:Organizations established in 2001