#maui wildfire survivor

Hawaiian Community Assets, a statewide nonprofit housing counseling agency, announced that the first four Wailuku homes offered through its Ua Hale Aʻela program for Maui wildfire survivors will be available for occupancy beginning Aug. 28, 2026. 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has awarded an additional $7.9 million in funding to the Hawaiʻi Department of Human Services to expand the state’s Disaster Case Management Program. This additional funding will enable the program to expand its current reach by more than double, capable of serving approximately 3,000 households. 

Today is the scheduled end date for the Non-Congregate Sheltering (NCS) program for Maui wildfire survivors. State officials issued assurances saying all families in the NCS program who are actively participating in their recovery efforts will continue to receive support until their transition from sheltering to an interim housing solution.

Since the Aug. 8, 2023 wildfires, nearly 2,000 individuals are still being housed in hotels on Maui. The Federal Emergency Management Agency reports that currently, 1,969 survivors are sheltered in nine hotels and other sites. The agency provided an update on housing, spending and resources as wildfire recovery nears the nine month mark.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency continues to collaborate with Maui County and the State of Hawaiʻi about transitional housing and determining immediate and anticipated needs of families who were displaced by the Aug. 8 wildfires. FEMA encourages families to continue to show regular progress toward their permanent housing plan in order to continue staying in FEMA housing.

US Sen. Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) led the Hawaiʻi Congressional delegation in urging the Internal Revenue Service Commissioner, Danny Werfel, to extend the 2023 federal tax filing and payment deadlines for individuals and businesses impacted by the Maui wildfires. 

Six months after the August’s wildfires on Maui, the American Red Cross continues to care for nearly 5,000 affected residents in the temporary emergency non-congregate sheltering program.

With ongoing recovery efforts and an estimated 6,000 people still in search of longer-term living arrangements, greater emphasis is being placed on encouraging property owners to offer their available units as long-term housing for survivors and their families.

US Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that Hawai‘i will receive $3.9 million in new federal funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to support the ongoing recovery effort on Maui following the fires in August. To date, Hawai‘i has received more than $412 million in federal funding for the response to the fires.

In the spirit of hope and community resilience, The Salvation Army’s “Magical Maui Christmas” event brought warmth and love to over 2,000 Maui wildfire survivors. The event took place at the Queen Kaʻahumanu Center on Dec. 9, 2023, with the goal of creating a memorable Christmas experience for survivor families to uplift their spirits and bring some much-needed holiday joy. 

“These arrangements are one way to convey in a small way our community’s continued support and caring.”

The Salvation Army is calling for the community’s support as they prepare for a heartwarming event, “Magical Maui Christmas,” set to take place on Dec. 9, 2023, at the Queen Kaʻahumanu Center. The event aims to uplift and bring holiday joy to over 2,000 wildfire survivors by providing them with a memorable Christmas experience.

This interim DCMP is funded by the American Red Cross for 90 days and will provide 20 dedicated case managers who will be able to help support up to 700 individuals. Once finalized, the FEMA-supported DCMP will expand to provide support to all survivors for up to two years.