Current housing situation on Maui?

Question

**reposted to Maui forum, waiting for deletion from general forum

Apologies if this has been recently asked. I was speaking to a friend about my upcoming trip to Maui (my 5th), and she asked how residents who were displaced by the fires were currently being housed. And I felt badly that I didn’t know.

I do know that many were able to stay as residents for awhile in short term rentals but gather that this accommodation may be over. Assuming it will take years to rebuild, how are residents doing with housing these days?

Answer

Great question — the housing situation for Maui residents displaced by the 2023 Lahaina wildfires is still very complex, and many are still in temporary or transitional housing even now. There have been a lot of moving pieces. Here’s a detailed breakdown of what’s happening and where things stand as of 2025:

Current Housing Situation for Displaced Maui Residents

FEMA Temporary Housing & Extensions: FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program (IHP) was extended to February 2026. Many survivors remain in modular homes or other FEMA housing. Specifically, 167 temporary modular homes have been completed in Lahaina at a site called Kilohana.
Leased Residential Units (Direct Lease): FEMA is leasing existing homes (single-family, condos, townhouses) from property owners to offer to displaced families. These “direct lease” units are part of the interim plan while longer-term housing is sorted out.
State-Run Transitional Housing: There are several modular/transitional housing projects in progress:
- Ka La‘i Ola: A large prefab home development in West Maui, with up to 450 units planned to house survivors.
- HomeAid Hawaii’s Project: Building ~450 temporary units (studios up to 3-bed) in the West Maui area.
- Hale Pilina: A 178-unit affordable rental development being built by Catholic Charities, which will prioritize wildfire survivors.
Economic Challenges and Rent Pressure: According to a survey, many fire-impacted households are still struggling:
- Rents remain extremely high — many displaced households report paying 50–60% more than before the fires.
- About 90% of residents from the Lahaina burn area remain displaced, according to the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization (UHERO).
- More than 70% of displaced households in temporary housing have now stayed in the same place for at least six months, showing limited turnover.
- There is a persistent lack of job opportunities in some sectors, making long-term recovery more difficult.
Community & Policy Responses:
- Many survivors depend on non-profits and community-led housing efforts.
- Local government and recovery authorities are prioritizing displaced families in affordable housing developments, but rebuilding will take years.

Major Challenges & Uncertainties

Permanent housing is still very limited. As of mid-2025, only a small number of previously destroyed homes in Lahaina have been rebuilt.
Some displaced residents have left the island: UHERO estimates over 1,000 people have relocated since the fires.
The timing for long-term affordable housing (with rents survivors can afford) is still uncertain. Many of the transitional or modular units are built to last, but they're not a substitute for full, permanent housing.

Bottom Line

Yes — many residents displaced by the Lahaina fires are still in a precarious housing situation more than a year later. While there has been significant progress on transitional and modular housing, a large portion of the community remains displaced, and permanent housing is not yet widely available. Rising rents, economic pressures, and slow rebuilding all contribute to an ongoing housing crisis.

So, your concern is very valid. A lot of displaced Maui residents are still working through recovery, and while temporary housing has improved, long-term stability remains a major challenge.

Current housing situation on Maui?

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