Maui braces for housing cliff as FEMA rental aid expiration looms

Nearly 1,000 Maui households displaced by the 2023 wildfires could lose FEMA rental assistance as a decision on extending the program approaches; the current 18-month aid runs through February 2026, but Hawaii has asked for another extension amid a rental market with under-2% vacancy and rents up 50–60% since the fires. If aid ends, hundreds in modular and direct-lease units and those depending on aid face eviction or relocation, threatening recovery in Lahaina. Contingency plans include Kilohana’s 167-unit modular complex and Ka La’i Ola housing, and officials say extensions could come with milestones to accelerate rebuilding, while the county and state prepare plans to take over units if needed.