#disaster relief

The County of Maui Office of Recovery will hold a series of workshops on rebuilding Lahaina’s commercial district. “Your feedback is critical to shaping the future of our town,” an announcement says. The workshops are scheduled as follows: Maui County’s Office of Recovery is inviting members of the public to provide input on the rebuilding […]

Council members say they’ll be combing the budget for savings in case the county is impacted by cuts to federal programs or agencies helping with the Lahaina wildfire recovery.

Contractors worry a rise in costs could make it harder for people to afford rebuilding burned homes.

The balance of power on the council could come into play on critical issues that include the mayor’s proposal to phase out thousands of short-term vacation rentals.

The Internal Revenue Service is encouraging taxpayers to file their 2023 tax year federal income tax return on or before the Oct. 15, 2024, deadline to avoid possible late filing penalties. People in disaster areas may have extra time to file.

US Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) called for additional disaster relief funding when Congress returns in November. Speaking on the Senate floor, Schatz stressed the need to provide disaster survivors on Maui and in other disaster-impacted communities with flexible, long-term assistance in the form of Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding. The said this will enable them to rebuild their homes and communities as quickly as possible.

US Sen, Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) called on Congress to pass long-term disaster relief funding for impacted communities across the country, including on Maui and Vermont. Speaking on the Senate floor on Wednesday, Schatz underscored the need to pass funding for the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program in order to provide survivors with flexible assistance to rebuild their homes, small businesses, and communities over the long-term. 

Jennifer Karaca, the founding executive director of Maui nonprofit Common Ground Collective, has been honored with the District 50 Hawai’i Lions’ Humanitarian of the Year.

The Maui Mahiʻai Disaster Relief Grant Program offers up to $22,500 in grant funds for 10 small farmers and ranchers on the island of Maui who have been affected by August 2023 Maui wildfires. These grants are designed to provide emergency disaster funding and education and may be used to directly increase agricultural resilience against natural disasters and to assist in recovering market losses.

Kelly Takaya King officially announced her intent to run for her previously held Maui County Council seat for the South Maui District.

Goodwill Hawaiʻi was recently awarded a new one-year contract by the State of Hawaiʻi DLIR Office of Community Services to provide Employment Core Services to Lahaina’s immigrant population or any other Maui resident who was displaced from work as a direct or indirect result of the Maui fires in August.

Workers and self-employed individuals, who temporarily or permanently lost their jobs due to the August wildfires and emergency declarations, will be eligible for paid disaster-relief positions and training through a program run by Maui Economic Opportunity.

With just nine days to go until the Sept. 30 deadline to fund the federal government, US Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today spoke on the Senate Floor to call on lawmakers in Congress to pass additional disaster relief funding as part of an appropriations bill.

The County of Maui Department of Agriculture is hosting an outreach event for agricultural producers from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sept. 19 at the Mayor Hannibal Tavares Community Center in Pukalani.

Maui Economic Opportunity’s Maui Fires Transitional Housing program is in need of draft leases for available rental units for no less than six months to facilitate matches with families and individuals displaced by the devastating wildfires last month.

The Salvation Army Hawaiian & Pacific Islands Division is holding assistance events Dec. 29 for residents on Maui, Oʻahu and the Big Island affected by the recent flooding and heavy rains.

Governor David Ige signed an emergency declaration for the County of Hawai‘i to respond to a wildfire that scorched 40,000 acres in South Kohala since Friday.

US Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) introduced a new legislation Friday that seeks to provide $2,000 monthly automatic cash assistance to struggling families. The Family Crisis Cash Assistance Act proposes the creation of a permanent program to provide immediate economic relief to families struggling through a natural disaster or economic crisis.

The US House of Representatives today passed legislation to boost relief funding to help communities recover from major disasters across the country, including Hurricane Lane and the ongoing volcanic eruptions on Hawai‘i Island.

The American Red Cross and the Japan-America Society of Hawaii (JASH) are the receipients of $100,000 contributed by Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. (HEI) along with its subsidiaries American Savings Bank, Hawaiian Electric Company, Hawaii Electric Light Company and Maui Electric Company to support recovery efforts from the Japan earthquake and tsunami aftermath.