Recovery by the numbers: Federal assistance for Maui survivors tops $60M

A month after wildfires swept over the Island of Maui, more than $60 million in federal assistance has been approved for more than 5,000 households, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

FEMA is working with Maui County, the State of Hawaiʻi and federal and nonprofit partners, to ensure Maui residents continue their recovery. 

Recovery by the Numbers

• FEMA has approved $20,837,049 for individuals and households, including:
  • $10,139,990 approved for housing assistance; and
  • $10,697,058 approved for Other Needs Assistance.
• Three Maui County Disaster Recovery Centers are open in Kahului, Lahaina and Pukalani. At the centers, survivors can speak to FEMA specialists, get assistance applying for disaster assistance, connect with voluntary organizations and access other federal and state resources. The centers are open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week. To date, 4,293 survivors have visited the Disaster Recovery Centers since the first center opened Aug. 16.
  • FEMA Disaster Resource Center in Kahului – 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. University of Hawaii Maui College (UHMC), 310 W. Kaʻahumanu Avenue, Kahului.
  • FEMA’s MEGA Disaster Resource Center in Lahaina – 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Lahaina Civic Center, 1830 Honoapiʻilani Hwy., Lahaina.
  • FEMA Disaster Recovery Center in Pukalani – 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Mayor Hannibal Tavares Community Center, 91 Pukalani St.

• There are still 1,089 federal responders are on the ground today assisting survivors.
• Homeowners and renters may borrow up to $100,000 from the US Small Business Administration, which provides disaster loans to replace damaged or destroyed personal property such as clothing, furniture, appliances or cars. The Small Business Administration has approved $38 million in disaster loans for affected Maui homeowners, renters and businesses. To apply online, or to download applications, go to https://DisasterLoanAssistance.sba.gov/; call SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955, or email [email protected]

• The Red Cross is providing financial assistance, temporary housing in hotels, mental health assistance and other services to people, including survivors who are not eligible for some FEMA programs. In addition to applying for FEMA assistance, survivors are encouraged to register with the Red Cross at 800-RED-CROSS (800-733-2767) or speak to a representative at any Disaster Recovery Center. The Red Cross and the Maui County government have housed and provided three meals a day to more than 6,190 people on Maui and Oʻahu.

• Eligible survivors may be approved for a one-time immediate payment of $700 per household, which can be used for life- saving and life-sustaining items like food, water or medical supplies. If you have applied for FEMA assistance, a Housing Assistance specialist will contact you if you’re eligible for this grant. Learn about the difference between Critical Needs Assistance and Individual Assistance here.
• Residents who lost their jobs as a direct result of the Maui wildfires and live or work in Maui County can apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance. The application deadline is Monday, Sept. 25. To be considered, applicants must be ineligible for other kinds of unemployment assistance. Apply online: huiclaims.Hawaiʻi.gov/#/

• The US Department of Housing and Urban Development is providing a 90-day relief (until Wednesday, Nov. 8) from foreclosures of Federal Housing Administration-insured mortgages and home equity conversion mortgages. Homeowners can call the FHA Resource Center at 800-304-9320 or visit hud.gov for more information.
  • HUD-certified housing agencies can provide additional counseling about your post-disaster housing needs. To find a HUD-approved agency, visit hud.gov/findacounselor or call 800-569-4287 or 202-708-1455 (TTY).
• The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Honolulu Division is assisting the Maui Police Department with their efforts to locate and identify the missing. Family members are encouraged to visit family assistance centers in Maui to provide a DNA sample or reach out to the FBI at 808-566-4300. You may also email [email protected] for guidance.

• The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement is connecting survivors to a variety of community support services at its Kākoʻo Maui Resource Hub at 70 Ka‘ahumanu Avenue in Kahului. Representatives from various agencies and nonprofits will be onsite to help people with food and financial assistance, grief counseling, legal counseling, housing and foreclosure prevention, document replacement assistance and kupuna care. The Resource Hub is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. 

• The Hawaiʻi State Bar Association is providing free disaster legal services to residents of Maui and the Big Island who were affected by the wildfires. Attorneys will be available to answer questions about document replacement, insurance claims process, landlord-tenant matters and other issues. Residents may call the toll-free hotline at 888-533-2773.
• West Maui Health Services has clinic services, including prescription refill and mental health care, available at the Lahaina Comprehensive Health Center every day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and at mobile clinics throughout West Maui. For more information, call 808-984-8201 or 808-984-8260.