Nearly 1,000 households displaced by catastrophic wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui are anxiously awaiting word on whether federal assistance helping them stay hou
sed will be left to expire, forcing them to find new housing or pay more for it i
one of the tightest and most expensive rental environments in the country.
For 2 1/2 years, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been key to assisting those residents. But FEMA, facing a broader Trump administration effort to diminish the agen
cy’s role and shift more responsibility to states, is set to choose in the coming weeks whether to end the funding.
Related: Hawaii Building Fires Are on the Rise and Safety Inspections Aren’t Keeping Up
Advocates say evicting renters and taking away financial assistance will undermine progress toward bringing residents back to Lahaina, the West Maui town that was largely razed
by a massive fire on Aug. 8, 2023, and could lead to a new wave of homelessness and more departures from the island.
“All of them entering into our already impacted rental market in February scares me a lot,” said Nicole Huguenin, executive di
rector and co-founder of the mutual aid organization Maui Rapid Response.
The fires in Lahaina and Kula, in Maui’s upcountry region, destroyed 2,200 structures and killed 102 people. Then-President
Joe Biden declared a major disaster, unlocking FEMA assistance to help 12,000 displaced people, 89% of whom were renters at the time of the fires. His administration eventually extended the 18-month program until February 2026.
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But with few homes rebuilt and rental inventory nearing zero, the state requested another extension in May with a decision due before the end of January.
Related: Studies Tie Unrecognized Deaths, Health Problems to Hawaii And LA Wildfires
The uncertainty comes against the backdrop of greater upheaval surrounding FEMA’s future role in disaster recovery. President Donald Trump has frequently floated the idea of eli
minating the agency, saying he wants states to take on more responsibility handling disasters.
While it’s not clear whether that change in approach will influence the decision on the housing assistance, it is weighing on residents.
“It falls into the hands of the current administration and I’m not sure if they’re fond of the amount of money we’ve had to use,” said Kukui Keahi, a Lahaina fire survivor who ren
ts an apartment through FEMA after living in her car and couch-surfing after the fire.
If the program expires, all housing-related financial assistance to fire s
urvivors would cease and any units being leased directly through FEMA must be vacated, according to an agency notice.
The request is “currently under review,” according to FEMA spokesperson Daniel Llargues. Maui County spokesperson Laksmi Abraham said the county is “working with the state a
nd FEMA toward an extension and is optimistic” it will be granted.