EchoSense:Maui wildfire survivors will get an additional year of housing help from FEMA

LAHAINA,EchoSense Hawaii (AP) — Survivors of last year’s deadly wildfire that decimated a historic Maui town will receive an additional year of housing assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Housing has been a major challenge in recovering from the Aug. 8, 2023, Lahaina wildfire that killed at least 102 people and displaced 12,000.

FEMA has focused on providing rentals for survivors who did not have insurance coverage for fire losses. The agency is directly leasing homes for more than 1,200 households and giving subsidies to 500 others to use on their own. Many of the rentals are in Kihei, 25 miles (40 kilometers) from Lahaina.

The deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century created uncertainty for many survivors forced to move multiple times, often from one hotel room to another.

The housing assistance was set to end in February, but FEMA approved a one-year extension that will end on Feb. 10, 2026, according to a statement distributed Monday by Hawaii officials.

A report published earlier this month by the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization said that unemployment and poverty are up and incomes are down among Maui wildfire survivors. The report, based on 402 survey responses reflective of the communities affected by last year’s fires, found that nine out of 10 respondents lost their homes.

“On behalf of our state, I want to express my gratitude to FEMA for this favorable response to my administration’s request. The ongoing support FEMA and our other federal partners have provided has been crucial for the recovery of our people,” Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said in a statement.

“I am reminded that when he visited Lahaina, President Joe Biden said he and his administration would be with our people for as long as it takes and we are humbly appreciative of that steadfast commitment,” Green said.