Lahaina fire survivors who are future first-time homeowners celebrated receiving letters of approval for a federally funded Maui County program. Eighteen households got home-shopping letters on Tuesday, marking a total of 100 ʻohana selected for the Ho‘okumu Hou First-Time Homebuyer Opportunity Program.
Those households are receiving up to $600,000 each to help finance a mortgage and offset the cost of purchasing a home in Maui County. The letter signifies that these families, who were renters prior to losing their housing in the fire, can start the home search. Support from program staff will continue through the process.
"This is a really, really big day for all of us here in Lahaina and the entire county of Maui," Mayor Richard Bissen said at the ceremony. "This is an incredible milestone for our county and for our impacted fire-impacted 'ohana. Through this Ho'okumu Hou program, we are presenting shopping letters 93 through 100 today, and that celebrates all these families that have been taking an important step toward home ownership and marking again the 100th shopping letter award."
Nancy Takafua, her husband and children were among those who received a letter on Tuesday, after losing their home in the wildfire.
“Becoming homeowners would mean more to our family than words can explain,” Takafua said, in a Maui County press release. “After losing everything in the Lahaina fire and having to live in temporary housing, all we have wanted is a stable place to call home again. With eight children, having that security and knowing we won’t have to keep worrying about where we will live would be such a blessing.”
To date, 43 homes have been purchased, with more than 100 family members living in them, totaling more than $24 million awarded.
It is the only program of its kind in the country.
