Residents are encouraged to attend the County of Maui’s Weekly Disaster Recovery Community Meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6, in the Lahaina Intermediate School cafeteria. The meeting will include a presentation by Keʻeaumoku Kapu on the work of Nā ʻAikāne of Maui and the cultural monitoring program in place for debris cleanup in Lahaina.

Mokuʻula, once the spiritual and political center of the Hawaiian Kingdom, is the subject of a groundbreaking 360-degree animated film that will have its first public showing on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024 at 6 p.m. at The Sphere at the Maui Ocean Center. The Lahaina Restoration Foundation presents the public premiere of E Hoʻi Ka Nani I Mokuʻula — Let the Glory Return to Mokuʻula, an evocative animated film that weaves together the powerful stories of the island’s royal past.

Motorists are advised of potential traffic delays as modular homes for wildfire survivors are transported from Kahului to the state’s Ka Laʻi Ola housing site and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Kilohana site, both in Lahaina.

Projects would boost on-call staffing and technology used by the county’s emergency management agency, as well as improve evacuation access.

For Lahaina wildfire survivors and those who continue to struggle with returning to a sense of “normalcy,” Hope Worldwide and Maui Christian Church will host the free Lahaina Housing & Resource Fair from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, at Lahaina Intermediate School cafeteria.

Alpha, Inc. in partnership with Dynamic Group, FEMA, and local subcontractors, announced the commencement of the Kilohana Temporary Housing Project in Lahaina. This initiative aims to provide much-needed housing for families affected by the 2023 wildfires, helping them return to the westside of Maui.

Habitat for Humanity Maui announced it is the recipient of a $3 million donation from Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez. This contribution, one of the largest in the organization’s history, will directly support Habitat Maui’s ongoing efforts to address Maui’s urgent need for affordable housing, especially in light of the recent wildfires and the worsening housing crisis on the island, organization leaders said.

“Whose Future?” draws solely from the public record to tell the story of how the community sought to shape its own land use future. This narrative gains renewed relevance in light of the tragic August 2023 fire, as West Maui faces complex decisions around disaster relief and rebuilding.

The long-awaited draft plan, released last week, also calls for improving communication networks, expanding evacuation routes and boosting emergency response technology and staffing.

Starting Wednesday, Oct. 30, the County of Maui’s Disaster Recovery Community Update Meetings will be held at a new location in the cafeteria at Lahaina Intermediate School. The school is located at 871 Lahainaluna Road; the cafeteria is makai of the main parking lot.

To further expand housing options in West Maui for wildfire survivors, FEMA is working with Maui County and Lahaina property owners to place Alternative Transportable Temporary Housing Units on secondary private properties. These properties will house individuals and families who were displaced by the August 2023 wildfires. The property must allow for the placement of two or more temporary units. Properties must be within the West Maui area.

In partnership with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement is offering emergency rental and utility assistance to Native Hawaiian families financially impacted by the wildfires on Maui and Hawai‘i Island.

A coalition of dedicated community leaders has announced the formation of the Hoʻōla iā Mauiakama Disaster Long Term Recovery Group, aimed at delivering ongoing recovery assistance to residents impacted by the August 2023 wildfire disaster.

Motorists are advised of potential traffic delays as 10 modular homes for wildfire survivors are transported from Kahului Harbor to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Kilohana temporary housing site in Lahaina. The hauling is scheduled nightly from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 27 through Wednesday, Oct. 30.

Even with the political factions that have split the council in recent years, candidates on both sides of the aisle are cautious when it comes to the mayor’s proposal of completely phasing out short-term rentals.

The Lahaina Homeowner Recovery Program announced that it will offer no-cost lot surveys for Lahaina homeowners who lived in their home before the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfires. Funding for the lot surveys was provided through a $3-million grant to Hawaiʻi Community Lending from the Maui Strong Fund of the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation. 

Coast Guard members and good Samaritans who responded during the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfires received international recognition and awards during a ceremony at the J. Walter Cameron Center in Wailuku, Friday.  Altogether, Coast Guard responders and the good Samaritans rescued 20 people and assisted approximately 40 more during the Maui wildfires. 

Residents are reminded that this week’s Lahaina Disaster Recovery Community Update meeting will not be held, due to the County of Maui’s open house being held at Lahainaluna High School from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, on the Draft Lahaina Long-Term Recovery Plan. The event will take place in the school’s dining hall.

A draft of the County of Maui’s Long-Term Recovery Plan for Lahaina is available for online viewing and public feedback online starting today. In addition to the online feedback opportunity, the Lahaina community is invited to attend open houses on Wednesday, Oct. 23 from 4 to 7 p.m., and on Saturday, Oct. 26, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Lahaina Energy Partnership invites all Lahaina community members to join the upcoming Co-Design Workshop this Thursday, Oct. 24 at the Lahainaluna cafeteria. Doors open at 5 p.m., and the event occurs from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Dinner will be provided.