County of Maui, HUD sign $1.6B grant agreement for disaster relief

A grant agreement authorizing approximately $1.6 billion in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds to support Maui wildfire recovery efforts was finalized Friday by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and the County of Maui.

The $1.6 billion to Maui County is the largest single allocation of CDBG-DR funds to a single local municipality to date. Of 47 grantees who were allocated nearly $12 billion in this latest round of CDBG-DR allocations, Maui is among the first to have its grant agreement fully executed.

The execution of this agreement allows the County to begin receiving the crucial federal funds that will fill gaps and address disaster recovery needs that are currently going unmet by other funding sources.

“This agreement marks a major milestone in ensuring these much-needed funds are on their way to Maui,” said Mayor Richard Bissen. “Nearly two years after the wildfires, we are ready to take the next critical step: disbursing these funds to help survivors build back stronger, safer and more resilient for the future. The County stands ready with the partnerships, processes and commitment in place to move this recovery forward.”

The CDBG-DR funds were appropriated by the US Congress in December 2024 and allocated by HUD to the County of Maui the following month. The funds will be used primarily for critical housing programs and infrastructure projects that support housing in the burn areas, in addition to supporting economic revitalization, public services and mitigation programs.

The allocation of funds by program type is outlined in the County’s Action Plan, which was shaped by community input during the public feedback period in February and March 2025. This included three public hearings on March 8, 11 and 14, along with ongoing engagement with survivors—through more than 70 community meetings since the disaster. The Action Plan was submitted to HUD on April 22 and approved on June 4.

“I want to extend our deepest aloha and mahalo to all who made this moment possible,” Mayor Bissen said. “I would like to thank our federal partners, including members of Congress and HUD for this allocation and subsequent grant agreement; Senator Brian Schatz, his team, and the rest of our Hawaiʻi delegation; Governor Green and our state partners; and Hawaiʻi Community Foundation and other local community organizations that have stepped up to aid in the recovery efforts over the past 22 months.”

The County anticipates that the intake process for various CDBG-DR-funded housing programs will begin in mid-August. Although official requirements have yet to be released, the County recommends that residents who lost homes in the fires or renters who were displaced by the fires begin preparing to apply by gathering and organizing documentation, including income documents (tax returns, bank statements, pay stubs, social security, pension, etc.); disaster assistance documents showing awards or denials; and receipts showing how any award money was spent.

“It will be a significant undertaking to distribute these funds, and we are committed to making sure they deliver the maximum benefit to our community,” said John Smith, administrator of the County’s Office of Recovery.

For more information and to view the County’s Action Plan, visit www.mauirecovers.org/cdbgdr.