Schatz: New FEMA funding ensures Maui will have federal relief for foreseeable future

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will end its pause on funding for some long-term disaster recovery efforts outside of Maui. The news comes following a short-term government spending deal, which contained an additional $16 billion in new funding that was signed into law over the weekend.

FEMA had delayed delivery of nearly $3 billion in disaster relief grants as its funding began to dwindle. The paused funding focused on long-term recovery projects for disasters from previous years. Maui’s recovery was not impacted by FEMA’s pause, but the new money funds FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund for the near-term.

“The new funding means that Maui will have the federal relief funding it needs for the foreseeable future. It’s good news for Hawai‘i and for Lahaina’s recovery,” said US Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i). “The recovery process will take years, and we will keep working as hard as we can to bring home more federal resources.”

Following the Maui fires, Schatz has led efforts to deliver additional federal disaster relief funding to Hawai‘i. He worked with congressional leaders and his colleagues in the Hawai‘i delegation to ensure new disaster relief money was included in any short-term spending bill.