Hawaii Wildfires and Climate Disasters

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green says Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has approved the state’s request to extend FEMA’s temporary housing assistance for Maui wildfire survivors until February 2027, giving nearly 1,000 displaced households another year of federal help in one of the tightest rental markets in the country. The program, created after the 2023 Lahaina and Kula fires that killed 102 people and destroyed about 2,200 structures, has supported roughly 12,000 people — most of them renters — through hotel shelter, rent stipends, FEMA‑leased units and temporary structures on burned properties. With rebuilt housing still scarce and rental vacancy near zero, state officials argued recovery could not meet the old deadline; survivors interviewed by AP said they had been "on edge" about losing FEMA support and now plan to use the extra time to save enough to secure permanent housing. The extension underscores how long‑tail housing crises are becoming a central feature of U.S. disaster response in high‑cost, low‑inventory communities, and how federal timelines are struggling to keep pace with climate‑driven megafires. FEMA has not yet publicly confirmed the move, but the state announcement signals a significant policy commitment that will shape Maui’s recovery trajectory over the next year.