Host families can now get paid for housing Lahaina fire survivors
By ‘A’ali’i Dukelow
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MAUI COUNTY, Hawaii (KITV) — Several weeks after the Lahaina fire scorched Maui’s west side, many area residents have been relying on family and friends for lodging. Now, the county unveiled a new $4-million program aimed at incentivizing more people to open their homes to those who lost their own.
Under the Host Housing Support Program, eligible host families can receive $375 a month per person for up to four people – with a cap of $1,500 a month.
“The idea here is to create or foster the aloha spirit and camaraderie that already exists in our community,” Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said. “I think the number one thing this does is it keeps people with family and friends.”
The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) reported about 25% of displaced people they have worked with are staying with family and friends.
CNHA is partnering with the Red Cross, Hawaii Community Foundation, and Maui county to launch the statewide, six-month pilot program.
“One goal of this program is to provide immediate stability to those hosts, so they can buy the added food, cover the extra expenses to host those families,” CNHA CEO Kuhio Lewis explained
The announcement came during a press conference on Tuesday, when county leaders also provided updates on the office of recovery.
So far the group has been deciding how to tackle the concerns expressed among community members, such as calls for better emergency plans and evacuation routes.
The department has also been seeking advice from other states that have experienced similar tragedies.
“We know that Maui is unique and different in so many ways and thus should be treated as such, but we do hope to take and implement many of the lessons learned,” Josiah Nishita of the office of recovery said.
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