Maui’s mayor wants to ban Airbnbs to make housing more affordable for locals. Researchers say it could cause an economic shock

HONOLULU (AP) — An unprecedented proposal from Maui's mayor to phase out vacation rentals would alleviate a severe housing shortage aggravated by the 2023 wildfires but would also shrink the economy, University of Hawaii economists said in a report published Monday.

Mayor Richard Bissen introduced the policy idea last year to boost Maui's limited supply of long-term housing after the fires wiped out more than 3,000 housing units in Lahaina.

Trey Gordner, one of the study's...