Housing Programs
If you were displaced by the Aug 2023 Maui Wildfires, we may be able to find you interim housing. Sign up so that we can try match you with the right housing opportunity.
CNHA offers rental assistance and housing pathways through referrals, our supplemental assistance programs, and CNHA-built modular units. This application helps us identify and advocate for the housing solutions that best meet your needs and those of your ʻohana.
We will collaborate with you and our external partners to assess your affordability and explore potential assistance from FEMA and other philanthropic sources.
We cannot guarantee you will receive housing. We do not have an inventory of empty homes.
If you are registered with FEMA and they have contacted you about a FEMA Direct Lease property, you should complete all paperwork including the required background check promptly to have an opportunity to receive housing through them. Signing up for our program does not impact your eligibility for FEMA’s program, and provides more opportunities for you to find housing.
If you have any questions about your FEMA eligibility for their temporary housing options, you can contact them in person at our Resource Center Locations.
Kākoʻo Maui Housing Programs by CNHA
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Kākoʻo Maui Lease Program
CNHA rental assistance and placement. Often, these units are more expensive than what most people can afford. We will work with you to determine how much you can afford, and assist you with potentially qualifying for rental assistance from FEMA and other philanthropic sources.
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Laʻikū
Within Lahainaluna, La’ikū presents a community of 16 cozy modular homes, each spanning just under 600 square feet and featuring two bedrooms. Units are in process and will be available intermittently, as units become available our team will reach out to applicants.
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Ke Ao Maluhia
Nestled beneath the Fairways at Maui Lani development in Central Maui, Ke Ao Maluhia presents a community of 50 cozy modular homes, each spanning just under 600 square feet and featuring two bedrooms. Units are in process and will be available intermittently, as units become available our team will reach out to applicants.
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DHHL Wildfire Relief Program
For Native Hawaiian families who are unable to pay rent and utilities due to the wildfires on Maui and Hawai’i Island. In partnership with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL), we are providing emergency rental assistance to Native Hawaiian families eligible to reside on Hawaiian Home Lands, including Lessees, Undivided Interest Lessees, and applicants on the DHHL Waiting List.
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Host Housing Support Program
Providing financial assistance to households offering housing to individuals and families displaced by the Maui wildfires
Maui Wildfire Housing Pathways
Need assistance with housing options? Reach out to us for support.
The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (Kākoʻo Maui), G.E.M. Hawaiʻi, FEMA, and State Disaster Case Managers are here for you.
April 2024 (Available Housing Pathways)
Other Housing Pathways
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The Hawaiʻi Interim Housing Program (HIHP) assists those displaced by the Maui wildfires by placing survivor households in temporary state-sponsored housing. The program is administered by the Hawaiʻi Office of Recovery and Resiliency (HORR) in collaboration with the State of Hawaiʻi’s Department of Human Services (DHS) and Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC). HIHP includes all State of Hawaiʻi interim housing sites related to DR-4724-HI Maui Wildfires recovery, including Hale ‘O Lā‛ie, formerly the Haggai Institute in Kīhei, and Ka Laʻi Ola in West Maui.
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Administered by Maui Economic Opportunity, this program helps families and individuals, with household incomes at or below 350% of the federal poverty level, secure and pay for short-and long-term housing; make a down payment and pay for a car payment for up to 4 months; secure and pay for utilities for up to 4 months; and to purchase clothing for eligible family members and school supplies for school-aged children. The amount for each Program benefit type is based on the actual cost up to the maximum amount established in the DHS administrative rules. If families or individuals have already received emergency assistance from other disaster relief organizations, then the program benefits may supplement those payments further ensuring families maintain their housing, transportation, and utility sources.
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The Rental Assistance Program (RAP) is connecting FEMA-ineligible families with long-term rentals listed on Airbnb or through the Hawai’i Fire Relief Housing Program. Learn more details here.
Reach out directly to Global Empowerment Mission if you are interested in entering your unit in their pool.
Administered by: Hawai’i State Department of Human Services & Global Empowerment Mission Rental Assistance Program
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The Maui County Emergency Rental Assistance Program (MERA), administered by Catholic Charities Hawai'i, intends to help qualified people on Maui pay rent and utility bills going back to March 13, 2020, current bills, or future bills, depending on a household's need.
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The Maui County Homeowner Assistance Fund is currently being established to assist homeowners who are experiencing financial hardship associated with the COVID-19 pandemic going back to January 21, 2020, and have incomes at or below 150% of the area median income. The program will be administered by Catholic Charities Hawai‘i, with financial assistance primarily for mortgage loans.
An announcement will be made in the next few weeks as when the program officially opens for applications. To learn more about eligibility requirements, or how to apply, please click below.
FAQs
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We know that most people want to live in West Maui. We are trying to secure units all over Maui, including West Maui. But, our program will not secure enough units in West Maui for everybody who wants to live there.
If you registered with FEMA, and they have contacted you about a FEMA Direct Lease property, then you should complete all paperwork including the background check promptly. If you are eligible, that is your best chance for securing housing in West Maui.
Signing up for our program does not impact your eligibility for FEMA’s program and gives you more chances at housing.
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If we match you with one of the units we have leased, and you accept the housing and sign a sublease, there are different scenarios.
If you are registered with FEMA and eligible for rental assistance - officially called Continued Temporary Housing Assistance (CTHA) - you will need to apply for it. Once you receive that assistance, you will pay that to us. Note that you can only apply after you have already signed a lease with us.
Regardless of whether you are eligible for FEMA rental assistance or not, you may be required to pay some portion of the rent directly - this will be part of our lease agreement with you and will be based on how expensive the unit is and your financial ability.
Behind the scenes, we may cover some of the rent with funding from CNHA, American Red Cross, or the State of Hawaii. This is not a detail that you will need to worry about.
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If you are registered with FEMA, received initial rental assistance from them, and do not receive an Additional Living Expense (ALE) benefit from your insurance, you probably qualify for FEMA CTHA.
After you sign a lease with any landlord, you will need to pay your security deposit and first month’s rent. Then, with your signed lease, receipts for security deposit and first month’s rent, and some other documentation related to your pre- and post-disaster income and housing expenses, you apply directly with FEMA.
If FEMA approves you, you will receive 3 months worth of rental assistance directly from FEMA that you must use to pay your rent. Save your receipts, because you will need to re-apply every 3 months. FEMA CTHA is available through February 2025.
All of this applies whether you get your lease through CNHA’s housing program, or find your own rental out in the community.
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Our program is not FEMA Direct Lease. But, if you qualify, FEMA should have already contacted you about the program. You should complete all paperwork and the required background check promptly. You can also apply to our program without impacting your FEMA eligibility.
FEMA has the most money and is securing the most units in West Maui. If FEMA Direct Lease finds you a home, their program can house you for 12-24 months.
If you have any questions about your FEMA eligibility for their temporary housing options, you can contact their helpline at 1-800-621-3362.
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If this FAQ didn’t answer all of your questions, then you should visit the Kākoʻo Maui Resource Center at the Maui Mall.
153 E Kamehameha Ave, Ste 101
Kahului, HI 96732
Or, email us at kakoohousing@hawaiiancouncil.org.
