Continued rental assistance for Maui wildfire survivors

Residents of Maui who were affected by the Aug. 8 wildfires and received an initial rental assistance from FEMA may be eligible for continued rental assistance. 

To be eligible for continued rental assistance, you must have used your initial rental assistance as intended, and:

• you must be unable to return to your pre-disaster residence because it is uninhabitable, cannot be accessed or is unavailable as a result of the wildfires;
• you cannot pay for housing without assistance; and
• you are not receiving temporary housing help from any other source. 

You also need to develop a long-term housing plan and be able to demonstrate progress toward one.

If you need continued rental assistance, you must complete an Application for Continued Temporary Housing Assistance. 

• Homeowners: If your FEMA-verified Real Property Loss exceeds the amount of the initial Rental Assistance awarded, the Application for Continued Temporary Housing Assistance will automatically be mailed to you after you have received the initial Rental Assistance award. If the Real Property Loss does not exceed the amount of the initial Rental Assistance, you will need to call FEMA’s Helpline to request the application.
• Renters: You will need to request the Continued Temporary Housing Assistance Request form by calling FEMA’s Helpline.
• To request the form, ask questions about the Continued Temporary Housing Assistance, or for help completing the form, call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. 

All applicants need to submit the following documentation with your completed application:

• Pre- and post-disaster income for household members 18 and older 
• Proof of pre-disaster housing costs (copy of lease and utility bills, renter’s insurance, mortgage statements, real estate taxes, home insurance, etc.) 
• Proof of post-disaster housing costs (copy of current lease or rental agreement signed by the applicant and the landlord).
• If your documents were lost or destroyed in the fires, visit a Disaster Recovery Center, where specialists can help you replace them. Maui Disaster Recovery Centers are located at the Lahaina Civic Center, the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College and the Mayor Hannibal Tavares Community Center. Find a recovery center here: fema.gov/DRC.

The Continued Temporary Housing Assistance Request form and supporting documents should be returned to FEMA in one of the following ways:

• Upload them to your disaster account at DisasterAssistance.gov
• Mail them to FEMA, P.O. Box 10055, Hyattsville, MD 20782-8055
• Fax them to FEMA at 800-827-8112

FEMA will evaluate your request to determine if you are eligible. It is important for applicants to keep FEMA updated with their contact information and housing status.