#FEMA

There are two temporary housing projects in Lahaina for wildfire survivors: Kilohana, for FEMA eligible families; and Ka La’i Ola, a state-run project for non-FEMA eligible families.

Many Maui wildfire survivors are beginning to repair and rebuild their homes after the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires. FEMA encourages survivors hiring a contractor to beware of fraud.

FEMA began moving temporary housing units from the staging site in Lahaina to private and secondary sites on June 26, 2025. Movement will continue over the next several weeks, providing further available housing for wildfire survivors in West Maui. The first unit was moved to a private site on Thursday, with additional units to follow. 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will end in-person staffing at the two public-facing recovery centers on Maui in the coming weeks.

Career fishermen and generations of fishing families have been waiting for access to the ocean since the 2018 Kīlauea lava flow blocked the Pohoiki Boat Ramp eight years ago.

All 237 nonhistorical, concrete pilings along Front Street in Lahaina have been removed — totaling approximately 500 tons of material. A press release announcement from the County of Maui described the achievement as “a significant step forward in Maui wildfire recovery efforts.”

Calling it a “significant milestone,” the County of Maui Department of Environmental Management Wastewater Reclamation Division announced that Lahaina’s County sewer system is now 100% active. The progress comes as homes and businesses look to rebuild after the August 2023 wildfire.

The County’s Maui Emergency Management Agency is inviting residents to provide feedback on the draft 2025 Maui County Hazard Mitigation Plan. The public comment period runs from April 23 to May 8, 2025.

Residents are encouraged to attend the County of Maui’s Lahaina Community Meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at the Lahaina Intermediate School cafeteria.

Attorney General Anne Lopez has joined a coalition of 22 other attorneys general in filing a motion seeking a court order to force the Trump administration to unfreeze essential funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In the motion, the coalition highlights that the Hawaiʻi Department of Human Services’ Disaster Case Management Program is being severely impacted […]

US Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) met with the Maui County Council and Hawaiʻi Gov. Josh Green to discuss federal funding for Lahaina recovery and disaster relief programs.

US Rep. Jill Tokuda (HI-02) led the Hawai‘i congressional delegation in requesting FEMA Region 9 to waive the collection of fair-market value rent from survivors of the Maui fires participating in FEMA’s Direct Housing program. Currently, survivors are expected to receive their first rental bill on March 1 and have until March 11, 2025, to appeal the decision on the rental amount.

Construction of the permanent site for the Lahaina wildfire and debris is currently underway in Central Maui on recently purchased land and is expected to be completed in June.

Wildfire survivors currently in FEMA’s Direct Housing Program will be required to begin paying rent on March 1, 2025. The rental requirement will be in effect for the remainder of FEMA’s housing assistance program, which has been extended through Feb. 10, 2026.  

Residents are encouraged to attend the County of Maui’s Lahaina Community Meeting at 5:30 tonight (Feb. 5, 2025), at the Lahaina Intermediate School cafeteria.

FEMA’s 167-unit Kiohana temporary home site for wildfire survivors was completed this week in Lahaina, Maui. 

The Office of Resiliency and Recovery today announced that the deadline to complete applications for the Hawaiʻi Interim Housing Program (HIHP) for Maui residents displaced by the August 2023 Wildfires is Jan. 15, 2025. Households that have existing applications have until Jan. 15 to complete any remaining information for HIHP processing.

FEMA continues to house survivors of the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfires through their Direct Housing Program. FEMA responds to questions that tenants may have about the program and their housing security as well as questions landlords may have about housing fire survivors.

The Rotary District 5000 Foundation has contributed $82,000 to support Na Kiaʻi O Maui’s relief efforts following the Maui fires, according to an organization announcement. The funds were used to purchase essential equipment, including a forklift and a heavy-duty truck, to meet the operational needs of the center.

Sacred Hearts temporary school now consists of 13 air-conditioned classrooms housed within existing buildings on the leased property, two portable enrichment classrooms, a school office, mental health counseling rooms and maintenance areas.