FEMA details housing options for Maui wildfire survivors

The Federal Emergency Management Agency continues to collaborate with Maui County and the State of Hawaiʻi about transitional housing and determining immediate and anticipated needs of families who were displaced by the Aug. 8 wildfires. FEMA encourages families to continue to show regular progress toward their permanent housing plan in order to continue staying in FEMA housing.

Interim Housing Solutions include the following:

FEMA Direct Lease

• FEMA leases existing, ready-to-occupy residential properties for use as temporary housing for displaced families. Eligible properties may include single-family homes, multi-family homes, apartments, cooperatives, condominiums and townhouses. 
• Property owners enter into a contract with FEMA’s property management company. The companies must lease the vacant units exclusively to FEMA for use as temporary housing for eligible survivors for up to 18 months, or until February 2025.
• The program aims to provide accessible and reasonable temporary housing solutions. However, available housing stock on Maui is extremely limited. FEMA strives to accommodate an eligible household’s needs within the available inventory. 
• The program continues to identify more rental properties on Maui suitable for survivors with household pets or those who have special access or functional needs. FEMA is also seeking five-bedroom homes for large households.
• The program will not consider properties if their landlords evicted previous tenants in order to receive higher rent from FEMA. Reports alleging that tenants were unlawfully evicted to participate in the FEMA Direct Lease program will be forwarded to the appropriate state and federal authorities.
• FEMA will provide a security deposit, conduct home inspections before move-in and after move-out, and assume responsibility for relocating tenants when the lease expires.

FEMA Rental Assistance

• FEMA contacts survivors who are eligible for the program.
• Survivors are also taking advantage of the program to locate their own temporary housing.
• For those currently living outside of Maui, FEMA may pay up to 100% of the HUD Fair Market Rent for a specific location. To find these rates for states and counties, go to https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr.html.
• If you received initial rental assistance from FEMA, you may be eligible for Continued Temporary Housing Assistance. To request an Application for Continued Temporary Housing Assistance or get help completing the form, call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362.

Group Sites

• FEMA and the General Services Administration have secured a land lease with the Hawaiʻi Housing, Finance and Development Corporation to develop the Kilohana group housing site. The corporation owns the 36-acre site, which can accommodate 169 modular units.
• Land lease negotiations have resumed with a West Maui landowner for a second group site that can accommodate 214 units on 63 acres. Environmental review has cleared, and designs are completed.

For the latest information on the Maui wildfire recovery efforts, visit mauicounty.gov, mauirecovers.org, fema.gov/disaster/4724 and Hawaiʻi Wildfires – YouTube. Disaster assistance information is also available with applications for download at sba.gov/hawaii-wildfires.