FEMA extension uncertain; Mayor urges wildfire survivors to take alternate housing, if available

With the end of temporary federal emergency assistance now set for the end of next month, Mayor Richard Bissen advised Lahaina wildfire survivors Wednesday night to take a permanent housing alternative, if available.

The looming deadline affects 946 households still relying on direct rental assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Bissen said during a Lahaina Community Weekly Disaster Recovery meeting at Lahaina Intermediate School.

He added that he received information from Bob Fenton, FEMA Region 9 Administrator, that said the temporary housing assistance program was initially created for 18 months, and then it was extended for a year.

“And, of course, we’re requesting that they extended for one more year,” the mayor said. However, “if you can find solutions to that temporary situation… my first advice to you as a plan is to take that if it’s available,” Bissen told residents gathered at Lahaina Intermediate School. “Please consider that as your first option.”

The urgent tone comes as the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s direct lease program faces a hard expiration date of Feb. 28. While an 18-day extension was granted recently to allow federal reviewers more time, the state and county’s request for a full one-year extension remains in limbo on the desk of the Secretary of Homeland Security.

“We are hopeful that they will extend,” Bissen said. “But [there is] no guarantee.”

The uncertainty has left nearly a thousand families wondering if they will face eviction or homelessness come March 1. Bissen assured the crowd that the county and state are working on a contingency “Plan B” if the federal government denies the request, though he declined to share specific details while the federal application is still pending.

“We’re not leaving you guys,” Bissen said.

In contrast to the federal uncertainty, Bissen confirmed that the state has already secured a one-year extension for its separate housing program at Ka La‘i Ola in Lahaina, securing housing for those residents through February 2027.

“We’re very grateful for the state’s partnership with us,” he said.

Olowalu debris site update

The temporary debris storage site at Olowalu, once the subject of intense community concern regarding potential reef contamination, has been officially cleared and restored to its natural state.

In the final monitoring report presented Wednesday, Department of Environmental Management Director Shayne Agawa confirmed that after months of operation and the removal of tons of fire debris, no environmental “levels of concern” were ever detected.

“The levels never reached anywhere close to the levels of concern,” Agawa said regarding air quality monitoring.

Agawa reported that the site’s environmental safeguards held firm throughout the operation. Groundwater monitoring wells detected no contamination, and “leachate” — liquid runoff from the debris — was successfully contained and showed zero levels of concern.

With the debris fully removed, the US Army Corps of Engineers has completed the site restoration, regrading the land to match its original contours. The monitoring wells have been removed, and the site was blessed in a ceremony on Jan. 5 led by kumu Kaponoʻai Molitau.

“It was a very chicken skin moment,” Agawa said of the final blessing. “I cannot say enough about my Olowalu neighbors, their patience, their input, their dedication, their understanding… it was a long journey, but I’m glad that we all took it together as a community.”

Lahaina home construction

Recovery officials marked a milestone for Lahaina, reporting that 300 homes are now actively under construction in the burn zone.

“That’s a pretty awesome sight,” said Office of Recovery Administrator John Smith.

The rebuilding effort is gaining speed, with 116 permits already completed and families moving back in. Another 339 permits are currently in processing.

Wednesday’s meeting also highlighted the first successes of the county’s Ho‘okumu Hou housing program, which uses federal Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funds.

Jeannie Sutton, a program representative, reported that the first family assisted by Ho‘okumu Hou moved into their new home just before Christmas.

“The first family… got to spend Christmas in their new house,” Sutton said.

Currently, 17 families have received “shopping letters” allowing them to purchase homes, with another nine letters scheduled to go out this Friday. Bissen noted that these funds are opening doors for residents who were previously renters.

“These are 26 families that never thought they’d be able to afford a home on Maui,” Bissen said. “Now they’re not all in Lahaina… but those are 26 families that never thought they’d be able to buy (a home).”

Residents still needing assistance were encouraged to contact the Maui Relief Program run by Maui Economic Opportunity Inc., which can assist with housing deposits, vehicle payments, and utilities for up to four months. The program 91.5% federally funded for a total of $85 million, and 8.5% ($7.9 million) funded from the State of Hawaiʻi.

Other news:

• Front Street railing: The restoration of the Front Street seawall railing is scheduled for completion in May. The road will remain closed to through traffic until the project concludes.
• Lahaina Harbor: The harbor continues to operate on limited hours, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, with access available via Shaw Street. Tour operators meet customers in the parking lot and escort them in.

The next meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. Feb. 4, also at the Lahaina Intermediate School cafeteria. A video of Wednesday night’s meeting is on the County of Maui Facebook page here.

Editor’s note: This post has been corrected to say that federal temporary housing assistance expires at the end of next month.