Starting March 1, Maui fire survivor households in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s direct lease program were required to start paying rent. Some of those families are delinquent and now face removal from the program.
FEMA says 175 families in the program have missed at least one rental payment since March. That’s almost 20% of the 984 households currently in the program.
FEMA attempted multiple calls, text notifications and in-person outreach to each of those fire-displaced families. More than 40 families did provide payment. FEMA says another 45 households could not be reached — and 23 ʻohana received final notices because payments were not made.
Families were required to start paying fair market rent as set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, based on location. It's a standard FEMA policy to start charging rent 18 months after a disaster. FEMA says it also took into account the household’s ability to pay.
FEMA officials told HPR the rent requirement is “a step that helps restore normalcy and supports survivors in returning to their regular routines.”
“Ninety-one percent of households currently in FEMA Direct Housing were renters before the disaster and are familiar with making monthly rent payments,” FEMA stated.
But many fire survivor families said they couldn’t afford those rates: $1,762 for a one-bedroom, $2,309 for a two-bedroom, and $3,103 for a three-bedroom home. The policy left many panicking about whether they’d be able to keep a roof over their head.
According to FEMA, more than 950 Maui families appealed the rental amounts, and more than 800 rent reductions were approved.
At its peak, the direct lease program — under which FEMA has contracts with property owners to house fire survivors — had 1,280 participating households.
Nearly 300 of those families have since moved out and left the program, either because they found their own housing and voluntarily transitioned out, which FEMA says represents a majority of the total, or they went through a formal revocation process because of non-compliance with FEMA’s program agreement, according to FEMA.
For those wanting to remain in FEMA housing with delinquent accounts, FEMA officials say late payments must be made by May 1 to remain compliant. FEMA has already started the revocation process for households with delinquent accounts. Those who cannot make their payments are referred to debt collection and won’t be able to return to FEMA’s housing program.
To make a FEMA rent payment, survivors can go online at pay.gov or call 866-804-2469. In addition, FEMA staff are available in person at the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement office and the Office of Recovery at the Lahaina Gateway to provide direct assistance with making rent payments.
For additional assistance, fire survivors should contact their assigned recertification advisor, or call the Individual Assistance Housing Hotline at 808-784-1600.
