Gov. Josh Green has approved $385 million in emergency appropriations for Maui recovery.
From that amount, $292 million will go to support families who are ineligible for reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
It also includes the state’s $65 million contribution to the One ʻOhana settlement fund for families of those who were killed during the August fires.
So far, 55 of the 101 victims' families have registered for the settlement.
Green explained that the funding is a crucial step to help Maui residents.
“Most other states did not provide as much support for their people. Not because they don't care, just because they didn't step in like an ʻohana in quite the same way,” he said.
“We have a very diverse community, especially in the neighbor islands where there are people from all walks of life. Some people who have lived for five generations, others who've just been here for 10 years, but they still lived in Lahaina. They still lost and suffered so much and we wanted to care for them.”
Green said that 75% of those who were sheltering in hotels have been moved to more permanent housing. The plan is to move the remaining 1,700 people out of the hotels in the next month or so.
The state is still negotiating with FEMA about what expenses qualify for reimbursement. For example, the number of those sheltering in hotels who are ineligible for FEMA reimbursement has dropped to 135 individuals.
Green said the state can also likely expect to see 100% FEMA reimbursement on the $1.2 billion debris removal project.
However, he emphasized the need to build more housing. FEMA has agreed to build 169 units, but Green is pushing the agency to build 1,000 units. The state also broke ground on a $115 million housing project called Ka La‘i Ola that will contain 450 one-bedroom modular units.
