HONOLULU – At the request of the State of Hawaii,??????? ?? ??????? ???????? the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved a one-year extension of the Individuals and Households Program (IHP), including financial assistance and direct temporary housing assistance for survivors of the Maui wildfires.
The 18-month initial period of assistance for FEMA IHP was set to end Feb.10, 2025 but has now been extended to Feb. 10, 2026.
“I thank FEMA for its flexibility and attention to helping Lahaina recover and rebuild, guided by the voices and values of the people of Maui,” said Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii).
Under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, FEMA may extend the period of assistance due to extraordinary circumstances. Last year’s wildfires caused unprecedented damage to Lahaina and impacted numerous households, businesses, communities and the infrastructure on Maui.
FEMA is working closely with the state, local officials and volunteers to help survivors in temporary housing find permanent solutions. Disaster case managers are also providing personalized assistance.
FEMA approved the direct lease as a form of direct temporary housing assistance in September 2023 and currently has 1,194 households occupying FEMA-provided units.
During the extended period, survivors who continue to live in a FEMA-provided temporary housing unit are generally expected to work on their permanent housing plan and start paying rent, depending on their financial ability. The rent amount would be based on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) fair market rent.
FEMA will send occupants an advance notice of the rent requirement.
Occupants who provide documentation of their post-disaster income that meets or is below HUD’s very low-income limit will qualify for fully reduced rent of $50 per month without having to appeal and submit documentation of pre- or post-disaster housing costs.
Occupants with household incomes above the HUD very low-income limit will only have to provide documentation of post-disaster housing costs for FEMA to evaluate the amount of rent to be charged based on their financial ability.
FEMA will conduct outreach to assist occupants of temporary housing units with the documentation necessary to evaluate their ability to pay. This effort is designed to reduce the need for occupants to appeal the rent amount determined by FEMA.
For the latest information on the Maui wildfire recovery efforts, visit http://mauicounty.gov, http://mauirecovers.org, and http://fema.gov/disaster/4724. Follow FEMA on social media: @FEMARegion9 and http://facebook.com/fema