It's been four months since the Maui wildfires killed 100 people and displaced thousands in Lahaina. More than 2,000 people are still in temporary shelters in over 30 different hotels.
FEMA has invited owners of short-term rental properties to an informational and open forum meeting on Friday to discuss its Direct Lease program.
The program aims to house the thousands of displaced wildfire victims who remain in hotels and temporary housing on Maui.
Specialists at the event plan to present information about the program and answer any questions owners might have about signing up.
"We're ideally looking for properties within 40 miles of the Lahaina area. A lot of families from this area don't want to leave, they really need to be here. They have children in school, their jobs are here, and they really want to stay in this area," FEMA spokesperson Debra Young told The Conversation.
Three property management companies have been selected to help facilitate communication between property owners and FEMA.
Under the Direct Lease program, FEMA said they will lease the property directly from the short-term rental owners at fair market rent, which currently ranges from about $1,700 to $3,200 in Maui County for 2024.
Available properties will be offered to survivors for long-term leasing for up to 24 months.
The in-person informational event will be held at the Westin Maui Resort on Friday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. It will also be accessible to stream online. Those interested in the virtual or in-person options must register by Thursday evening.
Meanwhile, Young urged homeowners of destroyed properties to sign their right-of-entry forms to allow FEMA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to clean up hazardous debris. The form only allows clean-up crews on your private property.
"Some people are concerned that that means that they're signing their property over to FEMA, and that's not true," she said. "They won't do it without your consent, enter your property to remove that debris that needs to be removed before people can begin rebuilding."
To register for the meeting, click here.
This story also aired on The Conversation on Dec. 8, 2023. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
