HONOLULU (CN) — Hawaii Governor Josh Green on Thursday bolstered the Maui recovery on Thursday by signing into law Senate Bill 582, which dedicates $385.4 million to fund crucial emergency relief initiatives for last summer's devastating wildfires.
"We will continue working tirelessly to ensure that every survivor has a safe and stable place to call home," Green said at the Hawaii State Capitol Thursday afternoon.
Green commended the state's efficient cost management of the Maui recovery process, explaining that costs have decreased as a growing number of families have moved from temporary shelters into long-term housing accommodations.
The governor revealed that 75% of shelter occupants have now been placed in long-term accommodations, including the new Ke Ao Maluhia community and the Ka La'i Oli project — initiatives focused on providing stable housing for those impacted by the Lahaina wildfires.
“The legislature was able to do these appropriations without taking away from major initiatives,” said Green, gesturing to the gathered lawmakers. “We’re glad for that, because we don’t want to lose our focus on housing statewide, we don’t want to lose our focus on homelessness, or healthcare, or the Department of Education.”
Green broke down the total amount of funding, explaining that assistance for those impacted by the wildfires will be divided between $292 million for non-Federal Emergency Management Agency eligible residents and $28 million for FEMA-eligible families.
Another $65 million is also appropriated for the One ʻOhana Fund, which specifically aids the recovery of families who lost loved ones or suffered severe injury in the wildfires that killed over 100 people. Green recently announced an extension of the application deadline for the fund to May 31, 2024.
The governor expressed gratitude to all lawmakers involved in the development and passage of SB 582, emphasizing their dedication to addressing the pressing needs of those affected by the Maui wildfires.
“Mahalo to the executive branch for seeing us through this with our team. It was absolutely the most incredible challenge that we could have imagined, and our hearts are always broken for the ones we’ve lost. But you can already see what we are gaining, which is more solidarity,” he said.
The August 8, 2023, wildfires that tore through the town of Lahaina prompted the state to take preventative measures for future fires, including sensors for added alerts, as well as weather monitors, that will be strategically placed across Maui and the rest of the state.
According to Maui County in a suit filed Wednesday, it sent out 14 emergency evacuation alerts during the fires, but residents received no warning due to "total cell service failure" at 21 cell towers in West Maui, including Lahaina.
Citing federal regulations, Maui County sued cell service companies, including Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, Spectrum Mobile, and AT&T for not promptly informing the Maui Police Department of widespread cellular service outages on August 8-9 during the height of the emergency, which the county claims impeded its ability to send critical evacuation alerts.
Maui recovery legislation has dominated the 2024 legislative session, with several bills supporting Maui passing out of the state House and Senate this week. Green is slated to sign Senate Bill 2919 — which allows counties to phase out short-term vacation rentals in favor of more permanent housing for Maui survivors — on Friday.
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