Maui nonprofits, Hawaiʻi Community Lending and Lahaina Community Land Trust, joined with the Hawaiʻi Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs’ Division Financial Institutions to announce a partnership to help Lahaina owner-occupant homeowners prevent foreclosure and support rebuilding efforts.

Kupu, Hawaiʻi’s largest youth-focused conservation and sustainability nonprofit, today announced its Maui relief efforts, EŌ Maui (Emergency Outreach), has nearly 40 paid opportunities available through partnerships with Maui-based organizations. The priority deadline is: July 12, 2024.

Hawaiian Electric is gearing up for a transformative decade on Maui, as the utility company plans to retire 88 megawatts (MW) of its fossil fuel firm generators, or roughly 35% of the firm generator capacity on Maui. This major overhaul is driven by state environmental regulations and difficulties in sourcing parts for aging generators, many of which have become obsolete.

US Rep. Jill Tokuda journeyed into Lahaina’s rich historic and cultural past with an eye on its future Wednesday.

A number of special events marking one year after the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires will pay tribute to the 102 victims and the two that remain missing. The events are designed to honor the resiliency of a community that has faced crisis and heartbreaking tragedy, and offer residents opportunities to gather in healing and shared support.

The new County of Maui Office of Recovery-West Maui officially opened Friday with a normal operating schedule of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at Lahaina Gateway Unit 102-B, 325 Keawe St., Lahaina, near Ace Hardware. The center will serve as a centralized hub for essential departments and agencies related to recovery.

SB 2085 creates the Office of the State Fire Marshal within the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to enhance fire safety and prevention across Hawaiʻi. The state fire marshal, appointed for a five-year term, will coordinate statewide fire protection efforts, propose fire code amendments and oversee fire safety training and certification.

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. 

Habitat for Humanity Maui announced a special Disaster Recovery Fundraiser to be held at the historic Old Lahaina Lūʻau on Aug. 17, 2024. This event aims to raise essential funds to support the rebuilding of Lahaina, which was devastated by the catastrophic wildfires of 2023. All proceeds from the fundraiser will go directly towards recovery and reconstruction efforts. 

Suspension of service disconnections for all Hawaiian Electric customers on Maui has been extended through at least Aug. 31, 2024, in accordance with the extension of Gov. Josh Green’s emergency proclamation. Maui customers who are financially challenged by the devastating wildfires will not have to worry about potential disconnection of their electric service, according to a company announcement.

The ‘Ohana Assistance Pilot Project launched on Monday to provide grants of up to $100,000 to Maui County homeowners toward the cost of design and construction of attached or detached ʻohana units.

The Board of Land and Natural Resources voted unanimously to issue an after-the-fact revocable permit to Nā ʻAikāne o Maui, Inc. (NAOMI) for its Community Resource Center, which was destroyed in the Lahaina wildfires. In its vote on Friday, June 28, the board also voted to change the rent from $40 per month to gratis (free).

The Maui Tenants and Workers Association (MTWA), a project of the Hawaiʻi Workers Center (HWC), held a press conference urging Governor Josh Green to extend the Emergency Proclamation on Wildfires for Maui set to expire today.

Interim housing sites include 450 modular homes under construction at Ka Laʻi Ola in West Maui, and 150 units at Hale ‘O Lā‛ie (formerly the Haggai Institute in Kīhei).

Ke Ola Hou Resiliency Center will be dedicated to providing comprehensive services to aid in the physical, mental and emotional recovery of individuals and families affected by the fires.

The County of Maui Office of Recovery-West Maui will host an open house at its new office at Lahaina Gateway on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, from 5 to 7 p.m. The open house is being held in lieu of the weekly County of Maui Disaster Recovery Community Update Meeting.

The Hawai‘i Public Utilities Commission will hold a public hearing July 8 on the rate application by Hawaiʻi Water Service Company Inc.

The Junior Chamber International (JCI) Maui chapter will host a school supply drive at the Kalana O’ Maui Building (200 S. High St.) in Wailuku on Friday, July 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The County of Maui Department of Environmental Management’s (DEM) Wastewater Reclamation Division today announced its amendments to the sewer service status in Lahaina’s fire-affected areas.

Following the devastating wildfires in Lahaina, Starbucks baristas nominated nine local Maui nonprofits to receive Starbucks Neighborhood Grants totaling $24,000, with four focused on Lahaina rebuilding and recovery.