The deadly Maui wildfire disaster displaced 5,000 people and has now left Hawaiʻi with the dubious distinction of having the nation’s highest rate of homelessness, according to a report released today by the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization. The UHERO report also underscores that the wildfires aggravated Maui County’s already acute shortage of housing. […]

Denise Nussbaum will share information about how Aloha Ranch and local community partners have addressed the needs of Lahaina fire survivor communities. 

Lahaina owner-occupant homeowners are encouraged to register now for an online briefing on how to receive property surveys through the Lahaina Homeowner Recovery Program. Those who owned and lived on their Lahaina properties at the time of the August 2023 wildfire and need a property survey to move forward with home rebuilds are encouraged to register for the Zoom meeting on Wednesday, May 21, 5:30–6:30 p.m. 

Maui County taxpayers spent $240,000 for a “homeless strategic plan,” but that’s not what they got. On Monday, officials told Maui County Council members that the county’s all-hands-on-deck response to the devastating August 2023 wildfires made creating that plan “infeasible,” leading instead to a “community-informed report” titled “Recommendations to Address Homelessness in Maui County.” Now, […]

The organization announced Tuesday that it has awarded more than $21,000 in total to seven Kula residents, with each receiving up to $3,000 to help cover rebuilding costs not addressed by insurance or government programs.

Bank of Hawaiʻi marked the grand opening of its new Lahaina Branch on Maui on Monday with a private blessing ceremony and a donation of $100,000 to provide support to Lahaina residents who are at risk of losing their homes to foreclosure. Its previous location on Papalaua Street was destroyed in the 2023 wildfires.

The University of Hawaiʻi Maui College is offering a series of FREE, week-long trainings designed to help participants master essential carpentry skills while building sheds to be donated to folks in Lahaina recovering from the wildfires.

The Kula Community Association (KCA) has formally called on Gov. Josh Green and the State of Hawaiʻi to take urgent action in advance of what is expected to be another challenging wildfire season in Upcountry Maui.

Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen today announced a partnership to address critical financing gaps for Lahaina homeowners still rebuilding after the 2023 Maui wildfires. The collaborative effort will create a Deferred Payment Loan Program to support middle-income families who may not qualify for federal disaster recovery funds but continue to face significant financial barriers to reconstruction.

Facing strong public opposition to modern home designs for rebuilding in Lahaina, the Urban Design Review Board on Tuesday began scrutinizing a lengthy draft guide outlining post-wildfire building standards for the historic town devastated by a deadly wildfire in August 2023. Off the cuff, board members expressed reservations about its 187-page length and a lack […]

Beginning Monday, May 12 through Friday, May 16, the modular homes will be hauled nightly from the staging site near the Kahului small boat ramp to Lahaina.

ToolBank Disaster Services has officially launched operations on the island of Maui to support long-term recovery and rebuilding efforts.

This contribution represents a quarter of all funds awarded to Hawaiʻi organizations and will support a range of initiatives focused on affordable housing, financial education and community revitalization, including Lahaina homeowner recovery efforts.

A new real-time dashboard launched by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa offers public access to live weather data from nearly 70 monitoring stations across the state, marking a major milestone in the Hawaiʻi Mesonet project. The launch coincides with Wildfire Awareness Month and represents a pivotal moment in the effort to make climate data available to the public.

American Savings Bank (ASB) held a grand opening today for its new Lahaina Branch at Lahaina Cannery Mall. ASB’s previous Lahaina branch on Papalaua Street was destroyed in the Maui wildfires.

The Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa will be transformed into a powerful hub of healing, celebration, and connection for over 1,000 teens from across Maui, Lāna‘i and Moloka‘i this Saturday, May 10, 2025.

The funding will help provide trauma recovery and disaster preparedness programs for students at Lahaina Intermediate School, Lahainaluna High School and other impacted Lahaina schools.

Residents are encouraged to take steps to reduce wildfire risks around their homes and neighborhoods, as part of the annual Wildfire Community Preparedness Day on Saturday.

With hurricane and wildfire season coming up, Hawaiian Electric hosts a West Maui Emergency Preparedness Open House event to help prepare residents and their communities on Saturday, May 3, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., at the Lahaina Intermediate School cafeteria. 

As Lahaina begins to rebuild in the wake of the August 2023 wildfire disaster, residents and visitors of the beloved historic town are asking whether it will retain the historic character that went up in smoke and ashes.