Gov. Josh Green and state officials held a blessing on Wednesday for the La‘ikū temporary housing project designed for wildfire survivors.
Four families have moved into the two-bedroom, one-bath units on Lahainaluna Road. However, officials are hoping to have another twelve families placed in housing by September.
The governor recognized the hardship that survivors have faced since year's fire and said the La‘ikū project was the first step in the state’s plan to build “thousands” of homes for displaced families.
“The first year was about survival. The second year will be about rebuilding,” Green said.
The project is built on land owned by the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation. Director Ed Sniffen said he hoped it could offer families some security, but acknowledged that it couldn’t make up for what was lost in the Lahaina wildfire.
“To the families, I really apologize for what you lost last year. We know that this doesn't replace it,” Sniffen said.
Lahaina resident Carol Ah Puck is one of La‘ikū’s new occupants. She and her family lost their home to the fires lat August.
Over the past year, they’ve had to relocate five times. Ah Puck said she hopes the move into La‘ikū will be her family’s last until they can rebuild their home.
“This is good,” she said, thanking officials for their help in providing her family a “stable place to live.”
The monthly rent for homes in La‘ikū is $1,750.
The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement’s Kūhiō Lewis said that money will go toward maintenance fees collected by the project’s property management company. He added that CNHA is working to ensure families can access rent subsidies through FEMA or other programs. The units come furnished unless the tenants request otherwise.
Sniffen said once the wildfire survivors transition to permanent housing, the La‘ikū project will be repurposed to house teachers for the Department of Education.
