Lahaina resident Isabel Quezada spent most of last year living in cramped hotel rooms with her six children, grandchild and dog.
The family moved nine times since the Aug. 8 wildfires destroyed their home in West Maui. The 44-year-old single mother said she prayed to get into housing provided by the federal government.
Her prayers came true — her family has a kitchen, a yard and space for everyone.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, under their lease program, moved the family into a seven-bedroom, two-bathroom house in Kīhei two weeks ago.
"The house is so beautiful. It's so big. I'm happy," Quezada said.
This week marks one year since the destructive wildfires on Maui. While Lahaina residents are trying to rebuild their lives, many immigrant communities are still waiting for housing.
Quezada had lived in Lahaina for 23 years. She's originally from Mexico, but all her children were born and raised on Maui.
Before FEMA moved the Quezada family into their Kīhei home, they were staying at the Royal Lahaina Resort. Quezada said it was expensive to order takeout and not have a kitchen to cook for her kids.
"The hotel is really nice. We have a pool, but it's not your house," she said. "It's not home. It's a hotel. Every single family needs a home."
Quezada said she waited three times to get into FEMA housing, only for it to be canceled because the house didn't pass safety inspections. In one case, Quezada even got the keys to a Kahului home, only for FEMA officials to call her at the last minute and say the house didn't pass inspection.
The Quezada family moved so many times that they stuffed all their belongings in one van.
"For me to carry all this heavy stuff with my kids, it was stressful," she said.
However, she said her stress is over now that the family has stability for the first time in months.
The U.S. Census Bureau reports that roughly one-third of Lahaina's population is foreign-born. Latinos represent about 11% of the town's population, but that number could be higher because some immigrants might be undocumented.
Although the Quezada family found a home, others are uncertain about their future.
Jose Alfonso Perez has lived in Lahaina for more than 30 years and works as a line cook at a restaurant.
Perez said he had stayed in a shelter for a week before his cousin could take him in.
"I'm sad for everything that's happened, and I lost everything," Perez said in Spanish. "I'm living somewhere else, and I'm not very comfortable there because I really want to be back in Lahaina."
Perez said he doesn't know how long he'll live with his cousin.
Veronica Mendoza Jachowski, the executive director of the nonprofit Roots Reborn, said this is the case for many immigrants and their families.
"I think the number of people who are doing fine is a lot smaller than the people who are struggling, unfortunately, in our community," she said.
So far, the nonprofit has helped more than 300 households, comprised of nearly 800 individuals.
She said that number doesn't paint a complete picture because it's unclear how many people may have left Maui since the wildfires.
Most of Roots Reborn's clients are Latino, but the organization has also helped Filipino, Vietnamese, Pacific Islander, Japanese and African American individuals.
She said there is a large demand for more bilingual case workers and assistance with applications for social services.
"There are some people who are recovering, and I think there are reasons," she said. "They probably have language support at home, but by and large, a lot of our community is still struggling to navigate resources."
The main goal for many immigrant communities is to return to Lahaina, yet state officials say it could take up to five years to rebuild.
Quezada said there's no place like the West Maui town. As she debated her situation, she put her hands in the sand at a local beach and decided to do whatever it took to return home.
"God told me to stay here (and) fight for Lahaina," she said. "This is our home."
