Lahaina resident Beatrice Hoopai narrowly escaped the 2023 wildfire with her family. Now, she’s fighting to keep a roof over their head.
“We lost everything, but it's just a tragedy, how we were treated after, during and even till now.”
After living out of a hotel for nine months, the Hoopai ‘ohana was moved by FEMA into a house in Kahoma Village, at the edge of Lahaina’s burn zone. Up until now, the Hoopais and about 1,100 fire survivors have been provided housing at no cost through FEMA’s direct lease program.
But that’s about to change. Next week, federal law requires FEMA to start charging them rent.
Notices delivered to Hoopai state she has to pay $3,108 starting March 1 for their 3-bedroom house. That amount is based on fair market rent established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
But her family has no income. In December, Hoopai’s husband passed away from cancer.
“I don't know how you guys expect us to pay rent,” she said. “Our only provider was my husband, and with the income that he was making at the time, we could have at least covered the rent and just go without what we need, because everything has to go towards the rent. And with my already disabled son and my two grandbabies, it's hard.”
For the Hoopai ‘ohana, navigating FEMA assistance has been particularly difficult.
“The heartbreaking part of this whole FEMA stuff is, I think it's bulls---, because my husband was scheduled for two surgery appointments, but if I didn't meet with FEMA, we would be put off [the program]," she said. “We wouldn't be having their help or resources.”
FEMA requires fire survivors to be at the house for scheduled monthly visits. She begged her case worker to reschedule but was told that was not possible.
“So I had to cancel my husband's surgery in Oʻahu. I had to cancel his surgery here on Maui, the surgeries that he needed in order to fight the cancer. And then from that, it spread to his bones, and then finally, his liver. And then now I am left without my provider, my best friend, my husband.”
The air conditioning units of her house are out, and no one will fix them.
“So we sweat at night and especially during the day, it's like an oven,” she said.
Like many fire survivors, Hoopai has experienced frequent and unexpected changes in FEMA case workers, leading to having to recount her story, resubmit documents and feeling unheard.
Then recently, her son was diagnosed with the same type of cancer that her husband had.
“So I've been watching him turn pale, his color changes, and how weak he’s been getting, so it's hard to do the whole rerun, on top of FEMA telling us we got to leave. And you know, it's like, how am I going to provide and keep this house?”
Along with her ill son, her two toddler grandchildren also live with her.
Hundreds try to appeal rent amounts
Hoopai has filed an appeal with FEMA to lower the rent amount — one of more than 600 fire survivor households in FEMA housing to do so.
“They said, if we cannot come up with the $3,108, then we have to vacate. If not, we're obligated to pay it on March 1.”
They haven’t yet heard back on their appeal.
FEMA said households awaiting a final decision on their rental rate are required to pay the full amount until a decision is made, and afterward, will refund the difference.
In the meantime, without the ability to pay, Hoopai is worried they may be left with nothing.
“[If I can’t pay by March 1] I get 14 days to move everything out of this house and me, my grandkids and my son live on the street,” she said.
Hoopai faces anxiety living across the road from burned buildings and having to drive through Lahaina, bringing flashbacks of the day she thought she and her family were going to die. She said they’re having health issues from living close to the impacted area.
“It's already scary just being here, facing this fire zone every freaking day… We all over here getting sick just because they put us right into the middle of the fire zone,” she explained.
“They're still cleaning up across the street, and now with the ACs being down, we have to leave the windows open, so we smell all of that. And they said that the air is clean. I was like, ‘You guys are full of s---.’ And they said the water is clean, but every other day, you got to scrub the toilet because there's this black stuff that is constantly there.”
She’s asked FEMA to move them to a different area of the island. But still, the house is a roof over their head, for now.
“The only hope I have is my family and what we've been through,” she said. “So I got to be strong and be in the right mind, because I have my two babies that I raised from birth. I just like them learn to be strong and we gonna get through this as a family, even though my husband is not here. All this is just stressful, and FEMA just don't understand.”
After this article was published, FEMA responded to a prior inquiry from HPR. A FEMA representative said fire survivors are billed on March 1 and have 30 days to pay the rent.
In regards to appeals, FEMA stated, "We continue to receive and process appeals. At this time, households will receive a decision within four days from submittal. The deadline for rent appeals is March 11.”
