Autumn Ness

1 Posts

Autumn Ness is the executive director of Lahaina Community Land Trust. On a personal level, Ness has intimate experience with the land loss that unfolds after disasters, as her ‘ohana was displaced after the Japan tsunami and nuclear meltdown. She came to Maui as a radiation refugee, where she poured her heart into anti-displacement advocacy. For 10 years, she served as an adviser on fair housing policy to two members of the Maui County Council. She is also the founder of the Maui Food Hub, which formed during the pandemic and has transformed into vital farm-to-consumer infrastructure.

In the foreground, a red sign is posted that reads (in white lettering) "This land will forever be in Lahaina hands thanks to the Lahaina Community Land Trust." Behind it, out of focus, are about eight people, some standing and some sitting.

From the Field

Harnessing the Shock of Disaster to Propel Change

October 8, 2025 | Autumn Ness

Sometimes disasters open a space for bigger and faster positive change. In Lahaina, Hawai’i, after the devastating fires in 2023, community leaders built on preexisting relationships to approach housing and land in new ways.