Only five households remain sheltered at two hotel sites as one-year mark since Maui wildfires nears

Just five households remain sheltered at two hotel sites on Maui as the one-year mark since the Aug. 8, 2023 wildfires is just over a month away. The emergency hotel sheltering program managed by the state ended on June 30. 

The Federal Emergency Management agency reports that to date, 1,251 households are occupying Direct Lease units. Under the Direct Lease program, FEMA leases residential properties for use by wildfire survivors. The units are offered for up to 18 months, or until February 2025. Under the program, FEMA helps survivors who need housing, paying the rent directly to property owners. Units in the Direct Lease program can be up to 40 miles from pre-disaster home sites.

Given the speed and progress of residential debris removal in Lahaina, FEMA is beginning to work with interested private homeowners to place temporary housing units on their property while they rebuild their home. FEMA is specifically engaging private homeowners who lost their primary home in the wildfires, are eligible for FEMA Direct Housing, and have not yet secured housing. 

Knowing that housing solutions are not one-size-fits-all and each survivor has a unique set of needs, FEMA will contact eligible homeowners to determine if they would like a no-cost, temporary unit placed on their property. Questions will be asked to ensure there is enough space, sewer or septic system capacity, and electric power for a temporary unit.

Since wildfires swept through Lahaina and Upcountry, Maui on Aug. 8, more than $429.9 million in federal assistance has been approved for 7,137 households.