Governor renews commitment to house FEMA-ineligible Maui wildfire survivors with 450-unit Ka La‘i Ola project

Gov. Josh Green, M.D., has announced a new partnership with HomeAid Hawai‘i to build Ka La‘i Ola, a project that will create 450 units for wildfire survivors on Maui who were not eligible for FEMA assistance. Ka La‘i Ola is the largest interim housing development announced for Maui wildfire survivors to date. Groundbreaking will soon be announced. 

“We have been working on this with some amazing partners since before the wildfires were even fully extinguished,” said Gov. Green in a news release announcement. “We know that survivors are still suffering and this will help take care of our people. Ka La‘i Ola represents one of many collaborative efforts, to provide access to safe and secure temporary housing for our most vulnerable households. We are committed to a sensitive response that respects the dignity of every individual and family involved as they work to rebuild their lives.”

Ka La‘i Ola means “The Place of Peaceful Recovery” and was named by Maui Kumu Hula Pueo Pata. Upon completion, the studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom units across 54 acres, will provide immediate relief by offering temporary, sustainable housing solutions for up to five years.

Individuals who will reside at Ka La‘i Ola do not qualify for any type of federal aid. The state has been paying approximately $56M each month to support this population in hotels and other temporary residences. The project will cost approximately $115M to create, with $75M from the state of Hawai‘i, and the remaining funds to be derived from charitable and community resources. Additional private support will create opportunities for residents to move forward – childcare, health care, resiliency center, gardens, playgrounds and other outdoor spaces.

Ka Laʻi Ola will provide property management and community services to support residents’ ability to heal, recover, and rebuild their lives. Disaster Case Managers will support residents with access to resources including providing trauma-informed services with consideration to post-traumatic conditions. Together with neighboring community leaders and housing beneficiaries, the goal is to plan a community with amenity buildings, a resiliency center, landscaping, and other essential components for healing and recovery.

The land has been leased for five years to the state of Hawaiʻi Department of Human Services by the Hawaiʻi Housing and Finance Development Corporation. Following the five-year lease, the state will commit the land and permanent infrastructure to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL), thereby accelerating DHHL’s development for Native Hawaiian beneficiaries by 17 years.

HomeAid Hawai‘i, a nonprofit organization known for its comprehensive approach to housing solutions, has served as the state’s developer for Gov. Green’s Kauhale Initiative. The organization’s current partnership with DHS will develop 12 kauhale across the state by the end of this year, 2024. Gov. Green said the new project allows HomeAid Hawai‘i to lend its expertise and project management capacity to Ka La‘i Ola and provide a much-needed housing solution on Maui.