It’s a fair bet Josh Green did not anticipate coping with a deadly inferno disaster during his first year as governor. The West Maui fires were destructive and traumatic, then exposed and worsened many of Hawaii’s longstanding problems, all at once. Ready or not, though, the responsibility for leading the state through recovery landed with him.

In that regard, it may benefit Hawaii that Green has been an emergency room doctor. His orientation is repair, and solving problems as they arise, and that inspires hope. However, statewide change-making requires not only bold leadership and good ideas, but also consensus-building and solid grounding in the facts and history of those major challenges Green pledges to resolve. The first-year governor has room to grow.

Green’s signature plan is to create housing: stable shelter for those without homes, and tens of thousands of units affordable to residents who earn a median income — including the state’s teachers, first responders and health care workers — and low-income households.

To address homelessness, Green has built on a concept first developed during the pandemic: “kauhale,” a quickly set-up collection of tiny homes or dormitory-style units with communal space. An emergency proclamation in January allowed for construction of up to 12 kauhale villages statewide. But only one has received residents so far — medical respite housing placed to draw notice, across Queen’s Medical Center and close to the governor’s residence, symbolizing a “Yes In My Backyard” approach that’s meant to win neighborhoods over.

So far, six sites that could hold a total of about 500 people, including a Kahului, Maui, kauhale for about 200, have targeted sites and opening dates in 2024. Another five have a location available but no opening date. If these sites can lead to safer, healthier shelter for those in need, and clear public spaces, they should be welcomed. But until more kauhale open, the jury is still out.

More powerful opposition greeted Green’s use of emergency powers to “fast track” housing development. The governor signed an emergency proclamation for this on July 17 — just weeks before the West Maui fires — suspending numerous state laws and appointing a lead housing officer empowered to greenlight actions, advised by a Build Beyond Barriers working group. The process sidestepped the usual, time-consuming sequence of deliberations and approvals, but also waived Sunshine Law requirements that include public notice and public hearings.

Pushback arose quickly, with nonprofit legal group Earthjustice filing suit against the proclamation, claiming the move benefited “real estate developers at the expense of the public interest.” Others joined, including the Sierra Club and Native Hawaiians, warning that the panel could fast-track housing developments on environmentally fragile or culturally significant properties.

Green, caught by surprise, proved adaptable; he modified the proclamation twice, and on Oct. 24 reinstated County Council approval of most projects, Sunshine Law requirements, indigenous burial protections and environmental review. He remains vexed by the opposition — but there remains palpable frustration and distrust after promises and expectations for significant affordable housing in Kakaako and on land above Kaanapali, Maui, for two major examples, were not met. Environmentalists and housing activists want clear parameters and benchmarks for success, and a path forward including these is possible.

Green and future governors must also take to heart the value of public notice and public hearings before significant state action is taken. These should never be optional, or thought of as a waste of time.

Positive momentum continues with pieces of Green’s housing proclamation that remain. For one, his focus on projects by the Hawaii Public Housing Authority (HPHA) is more concentrated. His year in review touts 10,800 units of new affordable housing that have been approved for state land controlled by the HPHA, and the emergency proclamation has allowed for immediate hirings to speed up turnover of existing units. That’s a huge positive amid normally slow bureaucratic processes.

Recovery efforts on West Maui also promise to affect statewide dynamics. With thousands of fire-displaced residents still in hotel rooms, Maui has been forced to confront a mean reality: Its supply of lucrative short-term rental properties exceeds that of long-term rentals for residents, and Green is avidly pushing state and county programs to shift the balance.

In his first year, Green has proven able to learn from his missteps and find routes around roadblocks, without abandoning his goals. Those are also skills required in an emergency. That flexibility and determination provide grounds for optimism about what happens next.