DHS narrows Maui Relief Program eligibility to households with minor children starting Aug. 1

The Hawaiʻi Department of Human Services will limit new applications to the Maui Relief Program to households with dependent children under 18 beginning Aug. 1 as state disaster relief funding for the program nears exhaustion, the agency announced.

The Maui Relief Program launched Oct. 20, 2023, to provide short-term assistance to households affected by the 2023 Maui wildfires. Administered by department in partnership with Maui Economic Opportunity Inc., the program has covered rent and mortgage payments, utilities, vehicle payments, clothing and school supplies, and later added assistance for replacement appliances.

The program has been funded through the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and non-federal grants. The state added disaster relief funds in October 2025 to extend eligibility to households that did not qualify for federal assistance. The department said those state funds are expected to be fully spent by August 2026, prompting the shift back to standard federal TANF eligibility requirements, which limit aid to households with minor dependents.

Households seeking alternative assistance can contact Maui Recovers at mauirecovers.org or support@mauirecovers.org, or Aloha United Way by dialing 211 (or 1-877-275-6569 toll-free) or visiting auw211.org.

Survivor households with minor dependent children can continue applying for the Maui Relief Program through MEO’s website at meoinc.org, by calling 808-243-4316 or by emailing NRST@meoinc.org.