STATE OF HAWAIʻI ANNOUNCES DEADLINE FOR INTERIM HOUSING PROGRAM APPLICATIONS

News Release from Office of Resiliency and Recovery, December 4, 2024

HONOLULU – The Office of Resiliency and Recovery today announced that the deadline to submit a new application for the Hawaiʻi Interim Housing Program (HIHP), for Maui residents displaced by the August 2023 wildfires, is December 15, 2024. Households that have existing applications have until January 15, 2025 to complete any remaining information for HIHP processing.

HIHP is managed by the Hawaiʻi Office of Recovery and Resiliency (HI-ORR) in partnership with the state Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC). The HIHP program has been open for applications since July 2024 and is currently housing 135 survivor households in 148 units in several housing solutions across Maui.

HIHP includes all state of Hawaiʻi interim housing sites related to DR-4724-HI Maui wildfires recovery, including Hale ‘O Lāʻie (formerly the Haggai Institute in Kīhei), Ka Laʻi Ola in West Maui, and the Hawaiʻi Disaster Rental Assistance Program (RAP), which places survivors in temporary rental units. Additional interim housing sites may also become available in future.

Eligibility Requirements:
You may be eligible for HIHP if you are not eligible for other forms of disaster housing benefits from insurance, FEMA, or other disaster aid providers, you lived in Maui County at the time of the disaster and:

You are displaced from your primary residence due to the Maui wildfires, or
You faced disaster-related income loss that resulted in the loss of your primary residence.

Households are encouraged to apply even if they are unsure of their eligibility. There is no cost to apply, and those placed in interim housing will not be required to pay rent or utility bills through August 2025.

Application Requirements:
HIHP applicants may need to provide the following documentation:

• Proof of identity (no citizenship requirement)
• Proof of pre-disaster residency in Maui County
• Evidence of disaster caused income loss and inability to pay rent or mortgage resulting in the loss of your pre-disaster residence
• Documentation of any other assistance received related to the Maui fires

For more information and to apply, visit https://dbedt.hawaii.gov/hhfdc/hawaiistaterecovers/ or call 1-808-727-1550. Translation assistance is available for those with limited English proficiency.

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