FEMA

A final extension has been announced for non-congregate sheltering, specifically for those still in hotels after being displaced by the Maui wildfires. HPR’s Catherine Cluett Pactol has the details.

The Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency in February requested that FEMA extend the non-congregate sheltering program. FEMA agreed but said the costs for meals would no longer be reimbursable. That’s why the state will now only be offering dinner. HPR's Ashley Mizuo reports.

For nearly 70 years, the Lahaina Library stood on Wharf Street until the Aug. 8 fires burned it down. Now, a FEMA grant will help rebuild it for the future. Library staff are working to find a temporary location in the meantime. HPR's Catherine Cluett Pactol shares the building's history and importance.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Monday that Pacific Islander migrants impacted by the Maui wildfires can now apply for disaster relief. Applications are open from April 1 to May 31.

As fire survivors transition out of hotels and into longer-term housing, community organizations are coming together to provide furniture to make their houses feel more like homes. For the past several months, Makani Christensen of Brown Kross Hui has been using his truck to pick up donated furniture and deliver it to families. HPR's Catherine Cluett Pactol reports.

Lahaina’s King Kamehameha III Elementary School was damaged beyond repair in the August fire. Since then, students have moved locations several times. HPR’s Catherine Cluett Pactol reports how the school community joined to bless a new temporary campus, which will open for learning on April 1.

It’s an effort planned in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the State of Hawaiʻi and private developers.

A measure that would provide additional emergency funds to address Maui recovery has advanced through the Senate Ways and Means Committee. However, it does not yet include funding for the One ʻOhana settlement fund.

Some Maui renters say they're experiencing evictions or eviction threats from landlords who want to get more rental money through lease programs for fire victims. Though many renters say they can’t prove their landlords are evicting them for that reason, one man's landlord came out and told him just that. HPR's Catherine Cluett Pactol reports.

FEMA Region 9 Administrator Bob Fenton was on the ground on Maui shortly after the wildfires hit. Speaking to The Conversation, he shared a snapshot of the current situation and how best to help displaced Maui families.