Current:Home > MarketsHawaii says 30 Lahaina fire survivors are moving into housing daily but 3,000 are still in hotels -DollarDynamic
Hawaii says 30 Lahaina fire survivors are moving into housing daily but 3,000 are still in hotels
View
Date:2025-04-17 22:17:28
HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said Wednesday some 3,000 people displaced by Lahaina’s wildfires are still living in hotels more than seven months after the August blaze but that up to 30 people are moving to longer-term housing each day.
Green told a news conference the state and federal government have lined up sufficient long-term rental units to shelter everyone who is currently in one of 11 hotels still housing survivors. The state and federal governments are also building some modular transitional housing units for displaced residents. Green said he expects all displaced residents will leave the hotels by July 1.
Nearly 8,000 Lahaina residents were living in 40 hotels in the days immediately after the fire.
Maui has a severe housing shortage. In West Maui, much of the housing that does exist has been used as vacation rentals for tourists. In December, Green threatened to use the “hammer” of emergency orders to impose a moratorium on Maui short-term rentals if enough property owners didn’t make their units available to Lahaina residents.
But Green said Wednesday such a moratorium won’t be necessary. He said the state has contracts for 1,300 units and that the number of households in hotels has dropped to under 1,300.
One issue now, Green said, is that many available rentals are not in West Maui, and some Lahaina residents have refused them because they want to stay near their jobs and their children’s schools.
“A lot of people have been offered an apartment, housing, and have rejected it because it’s too far away from West Maui, or it didn’t suit their family circumstance,” Green said.
Green said people are being given four opportunities to accept housing that is offered and two chances to appeal an option provided. He said some people have rejected housing four, five and even six times. Green said authorities are trying to be understanding because they don’t want to disrupt people’s lives even further but that people will need to leave the hotels eventually.
“Once that transitional housing comes online, honestly, people will have to go move into those if they haven’t left the hotels yet because it’s only fair,” Green said. “We need the resources so that we can build the next school, so that we can rebuild clinics that were lost during the fire.”
The fire destroyed 3,971 properties and caused $4 billion to $6 billion in property damage.
Of these properties, 561 were occupied by homeowners. One-quarter of these lots have already been cleared of debris, Green said.
“That means they’re going to get permits sometime later this year to begin to rebuild back in Lahaina,” Green said, while acknowledging water, sewer and electricity service will need to be restored to these lots.
veryGood! (3)
Related
- Chuck Scarborough signs off: Hoda Kotb, Al Roker tribute legendary New York anchor
- See the Kardashian-Jenners' Night Out at the 2024 Oscars After-Parties
- South Carolina beats LSU for women's SEC championship after near-brawl, ejections
- Jimmy Kimmel talks about that Trump dig at star-studded after party; Billie Eilish rocks socks
- DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
- How a Chinese citizen allegedly absconded with a trove of Google's confidential AI files
- Gwyneth Paltrow Has Shocking Reaction to Iron Man Costar Robert Downey Jr.’s Oscars Win
- Cry a River Over Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel’s Perfect Vanity Fair Oscars Party Date Night
- DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
- Selma Blair Rocks Bra Top During 2024 Oscars Party Outing Amid Multiple Sclerosis Battle
Ranking
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- Emma Stone wins second Oscar for best actress, with a slight wardrobe malfunction: Watch
- Chris Evans and Wife Alba Baptista Make Marvelous Red Carpet Debut at Vanity Fair Oscars Party
- See Sofía Vergara, Heidi Klum and More Stars' Show-Stopping Arrivals at the 2024 Oscars After-Parties
- The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
- Emma Stone and Husband Dave McCary Share Kiss at Oscars Party in Rare PDA Moment
- Driver pleads guilty to reduced charge in crash that killed actor Treat Williams
- NFL free agency QB rankings 2024: The best available from Kirk Cousins to Joe Flacco
Recommendation
Krispy Kreme offers a free dozen Grinch green doughnuts: When to get the deal
Oscars 2024 winners list: See who's taking home Academy Award gold in live time
Biden and Trump trade barbs over Laken Riley death, immigration, during dueling campaign rallies in Georgia
Marcia Gay Harden on a role you may not know: herself
Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
Did Monica Sementilli conspire with the man she was having an affair with to murder her husband?
Jimmy Kimmel and Molly McNearney on preparing for Oscar's big night
What is the NFL tampering window? Everything to know about pre-free agency period