If you are a homeowner, property owner, or a landowner that want to help by offering your home or available housing to those using the this Hawaiʻi Fire Relief Housing Program Form

Once you have fiilled out the form, an HHFDC representative will contact you to confirm your information and your participation. Due to the large influx of homeowner support requests, it may take us a few days to get back to you. We ask for your patience as we are working hard to process hundreds of applicants we have received. Once we have spoken with you and your information has been verified, we will release the information on our website’s list of available housing inventory.

Governor Josh Green, M.D. and the Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC) have launched the Hawaiʻi Fire Relief Housing Program. The goal of the program is to connect those in urgent need of housing due to the Maui fires, with Hawaiʻi homeowners willing to assist by offering unoccupied rooms, units or houses on a temporary basis. “We are asking folks in the community to rent out those extra rooms, the ‘ohana units or accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in their homes, vacation rentals, or whatever safe and secure rooms they have available,” Governor Green said.

Further details about the HHFDC Hawaiʻi Fire Relief Housing Program can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section here: HHFDC-Fire-Relief-Housing-FAQ.

HHFDC thanks the Hawai‘i Association of REALTORS® for making its Standard Form Rental Agreement available to property owners and landlords free of cost through a license agreement with HHFDC.  Use of the Standard Form Rental Agreement by property owners and landlords is subject to the Standard Form Rental Agreement End User License Agreement.

Multifamily Housing assists rural property owners through loans, loan guarantees, and grants that enable owners to develop and rehabilitate properties for low-income, elderly, and disabled individuals and families as well as domestic farm laborers.Multifamily Housing works with the owners of its direct and farm labor housing loan properties to subsidize rents for low-income tenants who cannot afford to pay their full rent. Additionally, when a direct loan ends before its initial term, Multifamily Housing provides vouchers to protect eligible tenants who otherwise may face hardship if they cannot find other affordable housing.

Multifamily Housing Direct Loans: This program provides competitive financing for affordable multi-family rental housing for low-income, elderly, or disabled individuals and families in eligible rural areas. Click here for more Information.

Multifamily Housing Loan Guarantees: The program works with qualified private-sector lenders to provide financing to qualified borrowers to increase the supply of affordable rental housing for low- and moderate-income individuals and families in eligible rural areas and towns. Click here for more Information

Off-Farm Labor Direct Loans & Grants: This program provides affordable financing to develop housing for year-round and migrant or seasonal domestic farm laborers. Click here for more Information

On-Farm Labor Housing Loans: This program provides affordable financing to develop or rehabilitate affordable rental housing for very-low income domestic, migrant, and seasonal farm laborers. Click here for more Information

Multifamily Housing Preservation & Revitalization (MPR): This program restructures loans for existing Rural Rental Housing and Off-Farm Labor Housing projects to help improve and preserve the availability of safe affordable rental housing for low income residents. Click here for more Information.

Multifamily Housing Rental Assistance Program: This program provides payments to owners of USDA-financed Rural Rental Housing or Farm Labor Housing projects on behalf of low-income tenants unable to pay their full rent. Click here for more Information.

Multifamily Tenant Voucher Program: This program provides vouchers to protect eligible tenants in Multifamily Direct Loan properties who may face hardship when the loan on the property is prepaid, or the property is foreclosed. Click here for more Information.

Multifamily Housing Nonprofit Transfer Technical Assistance Grants: USDA Rural Development awards grants to eligible nonprofit organizations and public housing authorities (PHAs) to provide technical assistance (TA) and other services to enable affordable housing preservation through the transfer of Multifamily Housing Direct Loan properties from current owners to nonprofits or PHAs. Click here for more Information.

Off-Farm Labor Housing Technical Assistance Grants: USDA Rural Development awards grants to nonprofit organizations to provide technical assistance to applicants for Farm Labor Housing (FLH) loans and grants. Click here for more Information.

For more information on USDA programs and how they can support, please contact the following or visit the Kahului Service Center at the address listed below.

Mr. Gerald Gregory
Natural Resources Conservation Service  
gerald.gregory@usda.gov
Direct Phone: (808) 214-1747

Nenita E. Acob
Area Specialist
Maui Satellite Office, Rural Development
United States Department of Agriculture
Direct Phone:  (808) 214-1733 / Fax:  (855) 878-2464

Kahului Service Center
‍77 Hookele Street, 2nd Floor
Kahului, HI  96732

USDA Rural Development can support homeowners, businesses, and communities in recovering and rebuilding, especially in providing long-term support through repairing homes, essential community facilities, and rural water systems. For more information, individuals can review USDA's Rural Development’s Disaster Resiliency and Recovery Resources Guide for Rural Communities.

Application for Disaster Relief Assistance Now Available

The REALTORS® Relief Foundation Application for Disaster Relief Assistance is available to qualified applicants towards one of the following options:

• Monthly mortgage expenses for primary residence that was damaged by the Wildfire Disaster; or
• Rental cost due to displacement from the primary residence resulting from the Wildfire Disaster; or
• Hotel reimbursement due to displacement from the primary residence resulting from the Wildfire Disaster.

Relief assistance is limited to a maximum of $3,000 per household.

Deadline for application submission is December 31, 2023. Please be aware that this assistance is for housing relief only; other expenses including second mortgages (home equity or loans), clothing, appliance, equipment, vehicle purchase, rental or repair, and/or mileage are ineligible for reimbursement under this program.

Recipient must be a full-time resident and U.S. citizen or legally submitted for residence in the United States. Photo identification to show proof of residency will be required.

Funds will be distributed through the Hawai‘i REALTORS® Charitable Foundation. In order to provide for a reasonable and equitable distribution of funds, assistance will be provided on a first come, first serve basis. All grants are contingent upon the availability of funds.

Each application will be reviewed to ensure all eligibility requirements are being met and supporting documentation is provided. Once the application is processed, the checks will be issued and sent to the REALTORS® Association of Maui office.

Applications and questions can be submitted to: mauirelief@hawaiirealtors.com.

Please allow 10-15 business days for us to review and process your application.

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION

The Maui Wildfire Recovery Program is a dynamic program that focuses on addressing both the immediate and long-term needs of those affected by the Lahaina fires. The Maui Wildfire Recovery Program is a comprehensive initiative of non-profit Regenerative Education Centers (REC) dedicated to recovery efforts for the Lahaina Maui Fire and all those affected.

Our mission is to provide immediate and long term relief, regenerative solutions, and sustainable support to individuals and families impacted by this devastating tragedy. Together, we are working towards a brighter, more resilient future for our community. Regenerative Education Centers is raising funds to purchase RVs and tiny homes for those who lost their homes in the fire. We are working with several entities to find land that victims can have temporary least-hold to park their RV/tiny home on only until it is safe to park on their own property for rebuild.  

We have raised our fundraising goal to $3.5M because we started with the goal of providing 20 homes for those most in need of support, but because amazing people are stepping up it has led us to reach higher make our goal to build 200 houses to *give away* to our community so that we can help keep as many people possible here — because they are a Lahaina.

We want those who were displaced to live with dignity and rebuild your home in Lahaina. We already have 25+ units purchased or being donated to this project, and we are trying to get as many of these as possible, so every displaced family can stay on Maui and be self-sufficient whether property owner or renters.

Click here for the Maui Wildfire Recovery Off-Grid Tiny Home Application

Family Life Center in partnership with multiple organizations across the community are working to construct a midterm housing solution, ‘Ohana Hope Village.

Family Life Center selected Continest as the provider for the main living area for the homes due to their high-quality materials, advanced safety features, and flexibility. Multiple units can be combined to create larger living spaces and each unit can be set up in 3-5 minutes. In addition to the living space, private bathrooms, kitchens, and screened lanai’s will be sourced and assembled locally.

Click here for the Family Life Centerʻs Disaster Relief Intake form

In the aftermath of the Maui Wildfires of 2023, every helping hand and generous heart can make a lasting impact. Join us in rebuilding and supporting our community.

Get involved today: 

MAKE A DONATION • DONATE RESOURCES OR LABOR

Have you been impacted by the wildfires on Maui? Call the Public Assistance Information Line (PAIS), a nation-wide toll-free number (1-855-643-1643) available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day for information on their programs.

BESSD is the largest division in the Department of Human Services. Staff and administrators provide a continuum of services, through nine programs that serve different populations, aimed at providing clients with monthly benefits to assist them with such essentials as food, shelter, and child care, as well as employment support and work-training and dependency diversion and prevention.  

The PAIS website https://pais.dhs.hawaii.gov is accessible 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. They both provide basic information on a variety of assistance programs offered through the Department of Human Services:

• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Temporary Assistance for Other Needy Families (TAONF)  TANF Brochure (REV 04-2022)
• First-To-Work (FTW)
• Employment and Training (E&T)
• Child Care Program Office
• General Assistance (GA)
• Aid to the Aged, Blind, and Disabled (AABD)
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – formerly known as the Food Stamp Program
• Hawaii Financial and Food Stamp Benefits Rights and Responsibilities
• Hawaii Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Program
• Homeless Programs (HP) & Information
• Low Income Home Energy Assistance program (LIHEAP)

For a step-by-step guide to accessing PAIS, read this informational brochure.

Department of Human Services Public Assistance Information System includes many services:

For information about the Department of Human Services, please visit:
State of Hawaii Department of Human Services

For information about DHS Benefit, Employment and Support Services Division (BESSD) including SNAP and Financial Assistance, please visit:
State of Hawaii Department of Human Services, Benefit, Employment and Support Services Division Website

For information about DHS Medical Assistance Programs, also called QUEST Integration, Fee-for-Service, Long Term Care, please visit:
State of Hawaii Department of Human Services, Med-QUEST Division Website

Maui Economic Opportunity has started the MEO-Maui Fires Fund to help place those who lost their homes in Maui fires into safe and secure housing as soon as possible.

Donations will be used to pay for rents. MEO and others have put out a call for available units in the community and have been assembling lists. MEO is currently designing a housing program and should have it up and running soon with the scope based on donations received.

About Maui Economic Opportunity
Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc., is a 58-year-old nonprofit agency that’s part of the national Community Action Partnership network, whose goal is to help low income individuals and families and disenfranchised people help themselves and transform their lives.

Scammers are already trying to take advantage of those impacted by this disaster. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has housing counselors that can inform homeowners of their options before making any decisions, regardless of where they received their mortgage loan. Homeowners can contact the FHA housing counseling services at 1-800-569-4287 and the FHA Resource Center at 1-800-304-9320.

As a non-profit 501c3 organization, Ka Hale A Ke Ola has been breaking the cycle of homelessness on the island of Maui for over 30 years, as a housing focused, comprehensive resource center that provides emergency shelter, life skills training, case management, a primary care medical clinic, and facilities for child care. To speak with an Intake Coordinator Please call our Central location at 808-242-4663 or our Lahaina location at 808-856-1178.

We provide emergency shelter for verified homeless individuals and families seeking shelter in Maui County. For single men and women, we provide shelter beds in a dormitory-style setting. For families, we provide either a studio or a two-bedroom unit. To speak with an Intake Coordinator, please call our intake line at (808) 242-HOME ( 808-242-4663 ).

Intake Procedures

For the Central Facility (Wailuku) please call (808) 242-HOME (4663) or (808) 242-7600 (press 1).

For the West Side Facility (Lahaina)*TEMPORARILY ClOSED please call (808) 242-HOME (4663) or (808) 662-0076 (press 1).

Those in need may call our intake phone line between 8:00 am to 4:00 pm; Monday through Friday.   After hours, please leave a voicemail message and we will return your call within 48 hours.

Walk-ins are welcomed, but not guaranteed to get an intake appointment that day.  If we are not able to do an intake appointment on the day of the walk-in, an appointment will be made for the next available space.

Intakes will be set up on a first-come, first-served basis and the following documents are requested upon intake:

1. Picture ID (any kind of picture ID)
2. Verification of Homelessness Letter

‍

Central Center
670 Waiale Road
Wailuku, HI 96793
808-242-7600

Westside Center
15 Ipu'Aumakua Lane
Lahaina, HI 96761
808-662-0076

‍

Rental Assistance Program

The KHAKO Rental Assistance Program (RAP) is a homelessness prevention program that provides direct rental assistance payments, supplemented by counseling and case management for a minimum of six (6) months to a year, to individuals and families moving from emergency shelter to permanent housing and Maui residents at risk of becoming homeless due to a temporary lack of financial resources.

For more information, contact our Rental Assistance Coordinator at (808) 446-8129 or review the Qualifications, Guidelines and Process for applying for rental assistance.

Get Started:

Qualifications, Guidelines and Process for applying for rental assistance

Pre-Application Screening (Online Form)

Full Application (PDF Form download)

Checklist of Required Documents

Central Center
670 Waiale Road
Wailuku, HI 96793
808-242-7600

Westside Center
15 Ipu'Aumakua Lane
Lahaina, HI 96761
808-662-0076

OFFER support or post a NEED for support or services in this local community disaster relief Facebook page. The purpose of this group is where we can have a "go to" hub to locally exchange information of supplies/help *needed* and services and help we can *offer* due to disasters on Maui.

This group will only help with YOUR help. Please SHARE this group. Invite people. Etc. Let's help our friends and families get their lives back!

✔️1. If you have something to *OFFER* (manpower, supplies, services, clean up, food, transportation, housing, etc) please start your post in ALL CAPS saying *OFFER*

✔️2. If you are in *NEED* of something (specific supplies, manpower, services, food, transportation, housing, etc) please start your post in ALL CAPS saying *NEED*.

✔️3. If you have an announcement of volunteer opportunities, meetings, new developments on Maui regarding the fire, legit donation websites, etc. Please start your post in ALL CAPS saying *ANNOUNCEMENT*

PLEASE try to keep to these categories so we can use this group to be as effective and helpful as possible

Please keep in mind whenever DONATING to ANY cause, please only donate items in clean, unstained, smell free and working conditions. It is disrespectful to think that anyone would want stained, smelly or broken items.

Rural Development’s Single Family Housing Programs give families and individuals the opportunity to buy, build, or repair affordable homes located in rural America. Eligibility for these loans, loan guarantees, and grants is based on income and varies according to the average median income for each area.

USDA Rural Development’s Single Family Housing Programs give families and individuals the opportunity to buy, build, or repair affordable homes located in rural America - https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/single-family-housing-programs

For Homeowners:

• Home Repair Loans and Grants assists very low income homeowners in eligible rural areas to repair, improve, or modernize your home. Apply directly with Rural Development. Grants possible for age 62 and over

For Homebuyers:

• Single Family Housing Direct Loans Program provides loans to very-low-income homeowners to repair, improve or modernize their homes, or grants to elderly 62 years and older very-low-income homeowners to remove health and safety hazards.
• Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program assists low- and very-low-income applicants to purchase or build a decent, safe and sanitary housing in eligible rural areas with no money down and provides payment assistance to increase an applicant’s repayment ability.
• Guaranteed Loan Program assists approved lenders in providing low- and moderate-income households the opportunity to own adequate, modest, decent, safe and sanitary dwellings as their primary residence in eligible rural areas. Refinance options are also available.

USDA Rural Development can also support homeowners, businesses, and communities in recovering and rebuilding, especially in providing long-term support through repairing homes, essential community facilities, and rural water systems. For more information, individuals can review Rural Development’s disaster toolkit.

For more information on USDA programs and how they can support, please contact the following or visit the Kahului Service Center at the address listed below.

Mr. Gerald Gregory
Natural Resources Conservation Service  
gerald.gregory@usda.gov
Direct Phone: (808) 214-1747

Nenita E. Acob
Area Specialist
Maui Satellite Office, Rural Development
United States Department of Agriculture
Direct Phone:  (808) 214-1733 / Fax:  (855) 878-2464

Kahului Service Center
‍77 Hookele Street, 2nd Floor
Kahului, HI  96732

Participants are referred to Maui Economic Opportunity for services because this is not a stand-alone service. Collaborates with the Maui Homeless Alliance and other social service agencies to maximize existing funding Advocates for affordable housing initiatives and projects and maintains the County Rental Assistance Program to provide

• Rental assistance like security deposits to stabilize conditions for people in financial emergency eviction, homelessness, and back payments on utilities (low-income energy assistance program)
• Provides assistance through the Legal Services program that provides legal assistance for low-income seniors sixty and older.
• Referrals to Paratransit services and works to identify and eliminate barriers for disabled riders

Each County in Hawaii has one Community Action Agency responsible for providing these services.  Under CSBG, these four agencies complete a Community Needs Assessment every three years, which then aids in the development of their respective Strategic Plan.  They individualize services and programs based on the needs specific in their respective County.    A few programs run by the CAAs include employment training and services, drop out prevention, underage drinking prevention programs, transportation and food services, and housing assistance.  Listed below are the four agencies along with their respective Community Needs Assessment and Community Action Plan:

• City & County of Honolulu:  Honolulu Community Action Program (HCAP)
  HCAP Community Needs Assessment

• County of Hawaii:   Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council (HCEOC)
  HCEOC Community Needs Assessment and Community Action Plan

• County of Maui:   Maui Economic Opportunity (MEO)
  MEO Community Needs Assessment and Community Action Plan

• County of Kauai:   Kauai Economic Opportunity (KEO)
  KEO Community Needs Assessment and Community Action Plan

All services and programs are free for eligible participants. These programs aim to reduce poverty, revitalize low-income communities, and empower low-income families and individuals to become fully self-sufficient through community action.

Beware of CSBG scams. CSBG does not provide direct grants to individuals. CSBG does not charge a fee for receiving a grant. If you receive a message offering you a CSBG grant or requesting a fee, please contact the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Fraud Hotline at 1-800-447-8477.