Hawaii governor extends temporary housing for displaced Maui residents after deadly wildfires

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green (D) said Friday that housing assistance for people displaced by the state’s deadly wildfire will be extended month to month.

Victims of the fire, which killed over a hundred people with nearly 400 still missing, have been able to stay in subsidized hotels and Airbnbs. That program will be extended via the Red Cross, Green said in an NBC interview.

“This is a very long process, but we can assure housing for the long haul,” he said. “And we’re also going to open up Airbnb and other housing across the state of Hawaii and in other counties in case people end up relocating temporarily to those places.”

Green expects the temporary housing program to last at least 9 months, he said in the interview, with a possibility that it can be extended again to a year or more while the state works on more permanent housing opportunities for those affected.

“We don’t want people to think they’re going to get housed and suddenly be asked to leave,” the governor said. “It will be in 30-day increments, which will be constantly updated. So people will get housed.”

The town of Lahaina on western Maui was effectively wiped off the map by fires, leaving hundreds without their homes. Damage has been estimated at over $5.5 billion, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and cleanup alone may cost upwards of $1 billion.

While the fire’s cause is currently undetermined, Hawaii filed a lawsuit against the local power utility on Friday, alleging that downed power lines caused the blaze.

“We will rebuild Lahaina, it will take years of work and billions of dollars,” Green said in an address last week. “But we are committed to this effort and together, we will meet this challenge.” 

“Lahaina belongs to its people, and we are committed to rebuilding and restoring it the way they want it,” he continued. “The land in Lahaina is reserved for its people as they return and rebuild.”