Need help rebuilding? Applications now open for the Keep Lahaina Home Insurance Gap Program

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PC: Lahaina Community Land Trust

Together with Hawai‘i Community Lending (HCL) and Hoʻōla iā Mauiakama Disaster Long Term Recovery Group (Hoʻōla LTRG), the Lahaina Community Land Trust is officially opening applications for the Keep Lahaina Home Insurance Gap Program, which offers a powerful partnership to ensure Lahaina homeowners can afford to stay and rebuild in the aftermath of the 2023 fires.

So far, 20 months after the fire, only nine homes have been rebuilt in Lahaina, according to the County of Maui. Meanwhile, data compiled by the Hawaiʻi Insurance Division last year estimated that there could be a nearly $300 million gap in residential losses that have not been covered by insurers.  

PC: Lahaina Community Land Trust

The Keep Lahaina Home program provides grants to bridge those financial gaps for ‘ohana whose insurance proceeds have fallen short, making rebuilding possible for more local families. 

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“As a fire survivor who lost my home on Aug. 8, I know the emotional turmoil and struggle of trying to rebuild with insurance that doesn’t go far enough,” explained Mikey Burke, President of LCLT’s Board of Directors. “The Keep Lahaina Home Insurance Gap Program is a critical tool—giving families like mine a real chance to remain in Lahaina. With programs like this, we ensure that Lahaina’s future belongs to those with roots here—and the faces of our town are ones we recognize and entrust to help raise the next generation of proud Lahaina residents.” 

LCLT provides funding and stewards long-term protections on homes that are rebuilt, working together with HCL, which vets and qualifies applicants for the program and helps homeowners better understand their financial positions. The LTRG, meanwhile, works in collaboration to help homeowners navigate the permitting and rebuilding process by coordinating resources, including grant funding, material sourcing and in-kind labor. 

“The Keep Lahaina Home Insurance Gap Program is poised to make a big difference in the ability of our people to get back home, and Hawai’i Community Lending is honored to support the effort,” said Jeff Gilbreath, HCL executive director.  “As Hawaiʻi’s premier nonprofit mortgage lender, we listen to our families and help them figure out the best pathway to attain homeownership, or in this case, return to homeownership. Our dedicated Lahaina team is committed to investing quality time with Lahaina residents to guide them on their unique journeys.”

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The typical financial gap for homeowners ranges from $200,000 to $400,000, although that shifts along with construction material prices and labor costs. 

“We’re excited about this partnership—it brings together the right support at a critical time for families who are ready to rebuild but face major insurance gaps,” said Rhonda Alexander-Monkres, Executive Director of Hoʻōla LTRG. “By combining funding, technical guidance, and on-the-ground coordination, we’re opening the door for more local homeowners to return and remain in Lahaina—restoring stability and hope, one home at a time.”

Besides ensuring generational stability and staving off displacement for individual households, the overarching goal of this program is two-fold: In exchange for these grants, individual homeowners will become part of a collective effort to ensure Lahaina stays affordable for local families for generations to come. This means committing to ensuring that homes will only ever be resold to kamaʻāina, at an attainable price. To learn more about the program and how to apply, reach out to gap@lahainacommunitylandtrust.org

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