FEMA housing program rejects rental properties that illegally evict tenants

While the Federal Emergency Management Agency continues to lease Maui rental units to Maui wildfire survivors who lost their homes, the FEMA Direct Lease program is turning away property owners who illegally force tenants out so landlords can gain higher rents from the FEMA program.

Illegally evicted tenants can report profiteering landlords to FEMA. Such cases will be submitted to appropriate state and federal authorities. In confirmed cases, the rental property cited in the complaint will not be used in FEMA’s Direct Lease Program. The investigation could also result in fines or other enforcement action.

Under the Direct Lease program, FEMA pays landlords directly for up to 18 months for homes or apartments rented to wildfire survivors for up to 18 months. Three property management companies have been contracted to administer the program.

Gov. Josh Green’s emergency proclamation – currently in effect until March 5 – was intended to help prevent vulnerable tenants from losing their homes after the August disaster. It prohibits Maui’s property owners from raising rent above the amount charged Aug. 9.

FEMA’s commitment to helping wildfire survivors also means bringing no harm to Maui’s larger community.

“If you believe your landlord wrongly issued you an eviction in order to benefit from the FEMA Direct Lease program, FEMA urges you to report it to the Hawaiʻi Attorney General’s office,” the agency announcement says.

Complaints may be emailed to: HawaiiAG@Hawaii.gov.

Evicted renters may also call FEMA’s Civil Rights Resource line at 833-285-7448.

For additional information on landlord-tenant issues, contact the Hawaiʻi Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs’ Office of Consumer Affairs at 808-243-4648.

For those facing civil legal issues as a result of the wildfires and who cannot afford an attorney, legal advice is available by calling the Legal Aid Society of Hawaiʻi’s toll-free lines at 808-536-4302 or 800-499-4302.

The Disaster Legal Services national hotline is 888-743-5749 or 888-533-2773. Free legal advice may be accessed at https://www.ladrc.org/disasters/hawaii-wildfires/ or https://hawaii.freelegalanswers.org/.

For the latest information on the Maui wildfire recovery efforts, visit mauicounty.gov, mauirecovers.org, fema.gov/disaster/4724 and Hawaii Wildfires – YouTube. Follow FEMA on social media: @FEMARegion9 and facebook.com/fema. You may also get disaster assistance information and download applications at sba.gov/hawaii-wildfires.