Maui Strong Fund grants available for post-wildfire housing and mental health programs

Three new Maui Strong Fund opportunities are available as grants for programs that address solutions for interim- and long-term housing and mental health assistance, the Hawai‘i Community Foundation announced.

The funding opportunities come on the heels of the first report from the “Maui Recovery Survey” which was produced in in partnership with the foundation, the Economic Research Organization at the University of Hawaiʻi and the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement.

The findings included:

• Households impacted by the fire are paying on average 43% more rent for the same or fewer bedrooms, compared with before the wildfires. 
• At least 14% of surveyed households live in crowded conditions.
• The proportion of fire-affected households living with family/friends or unhoused has nearly doubled since the wildfires.
• 80% of West Maui residents surveyed have been displaced from their homes, and almost half have had to leave West Maui.
• Displacement has not only affected residents of West Maui and Kula. More than a third of those who worked or owned businesses in West Maui or Kula, but lived elsewhere, were displaced from their homes following the disaster.

Additionally, a recent study by the Hawai‘i State Rural Health Association, “Maui Together Wildfire Assessment 2024,” provides insight into the mental health crisis, with feedback provided by 1,105 fire-impacted individuals. Those study results showed:

• Almost 60% have moved at least three times since the fires, and 33% have moved four or more times.
• Nearly 58% of these respondents say the uncertainty of the future is the hardest thing to face since the fires, followed by housing (40%), the difficulty of navigating the system (30%), and the emotional and mental impacts of the losses they have faced (32%).
• About 64% of fire survivors note a deterioration of their mental health over the past year, with a general concern about there not being enough providers.

“Fire-affected individuals and families deserve to have safe and stable homes that are affordable and located in their communities,” said Keanu Lau Hee, the foundation’s senior director of the Maui Recovery Effort. “To cultivate more solutions to meet the housing needs of our Maui ‘ohana and to support the mental health and wellness of the community as they continue to recover, we are opening three new grant funding opportunities from the Maui Strong Fund.” 

A grant opportunity targeting Interim and Long-Term Housing is available and open to applications from organizations offering disaster housing solutions to meet the needs of wildfire survivors. The foundation will consider applicants who can address needs relating to transitional housing and other priority areas identified by recent data from the UHERO Maui Recovery Survey. The Interim & Long-Term Housing opportunity will be available through Nov. 5, 2024.

A grant opportunity targeting Mental Health – Community Wellness and Wellbeing is available and open to organizations and programs providing mental health resources to Maui wildfire survivors. Many individuals have been emotionally and mentally impacted by the fires and the ongoing recovery. The foundation will consider community-based options that provide activities for children and community engagement for adults and families to support wellness and well-being. The deadline to apply for the Mental Health – Community Wellness & Wellbeing opportunity is Nov. 8, 2024.

The foundation is also seeking applicants through a request for proposal for the Mental Health Crisis Center Program funding opportunity. The program focuses on the development of a mental health hub that will match fire-affected households and individuals with mental health providers. The program aims to increase access and opportunities for mental health care for fire survivors. The deadline to apply for the Mental Health Crisis Center Program opportunity is Nov. 8, 2024.

The Maui Strong Fund continues to accept grant applications on a rolling basis for funding requests up to $100,000. Grant proposals should address critical needs in the recovery effort. The foundation provides responsive grant-making through the Maui Strong Fund and is committed to funding strategies that consider the long-term recovery of Maui’s fire-affected residents.

For more information about the new and current grant opportunities and the request for proposals, visit the foundation website at https://www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/strengthening/maui-strong-fund/apply-for-a-grant.