State lawmakers are concerned there may not be enough housing in place to shelter displaced Lahaina residents by the time the Federal Emergency Management Agency leaves next February.
If residents aren’t rehoused by the time FEMA leaves, the state may need to pay ongoing shelter costs of more than $1 million a day, which is currently not in the state budget.
State Budget Director Luis Salaveria told lawmakers the state is currently looking at a price tag of $561 million to cover Maui wildfire recovery and rebuilding costs through the end of June.
He said this will require an emergency appropriation to the state's Major Disaster Fund.
"The major disaster fund right now is short $361 million for fiscal year 24. And so … right now, departments are basically starting to look at what more we can infuse with existing appropriations, but in all likelihood we will be requesting an additional appropriation," he said.
Salaveria testified Tuesday before the Senate Ways and Means Committee. He said a portion of this cost will be reimbursed by FEMA, but that could take three to five years.
An estimated 1,100 residents have been able to secure interim housing through FEMA, but for the 820 residents who aren’t eligible for FEMA, the cost of housing and wrap-around services is about $1,000 per person per day.
Senate Ways and Means Chair Donovan Dela Cruz is concerned there’s not enough clarity over who is responsible for what when it comes to efforts to house and shelter displaced residents.
"How do we make sure that everything is coordinated? Can’t just be in silos, because that’s kind of our issue. We need the sheltering plan and the housing plan to start to I guess mesh. So there’s obvious resources for this plan, but we don’t have a document yet," Dela Cruz said.
The governor’s Joint Housing Task Force will reconvene over the next week to tighten up the housing plan and schedule a follow-up briefing with legislators.
