NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel sent a letter on January 5 to Hawai‘i Governor Josh Green, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, and Red Cross Executive Director Gail J. McGovern on behalf of the NLIHC-led Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition (DHRC) regarding the ongoing evictions of Maui wildfire survivors from hotel rooms serving as transitional shelter due solely to their status as having been unhoused at the time of the fires.
Since the catastrophic wildfires that tore through the Hawai‘ian island of Maui in August 2023, resulting in the destruction of the town of Lahaina and the deaths of over 100 individuals, those displaced by the fire have been mostly housed in hotel rooms funded by a combination of FEMA, Red Cross, and state funds. In late 2023, those identified as having been unhoused at the time of the fires were evicted from their hotel rooms and transferred to a tent city elsewhere on Maui. Those who had been unhoused but who were living with disabilities, with children under the age of 18, or who had certain immigration statuses were spared from the initial round of evictions based on the level of need they faced.
Partners working on the ground in collaboration with the DHRC found that the 87 individuals who had been spared eviction in late 2023 had received notice that they would be evicted from their transitional shelter in early January 2024. They were also informed they would not be eligible for government-funded disaster assistance or case management services. Housing for disaster survivors is scarce on Maui, and the shelter system is presently at capacity, meaning that it is very likely these individuals will return to unsheltered homelessness once removed.
“Given the number of resources, non-congregate shelters, professional expertise, and funding currently available on Maui, these evictions and denials of service are unconscionable and must be immediately remedied,” reads a portion of the letter. “FEMA, the American Red Cross, and the State of Hawai‘i must work together to provide the 87 individuals facing eviction and other individuals that were experiencing homelessness in and around the area impacted by the 2023 wildfires access to non-congregate shelter and disaster case management services the same as any impacted renter and homeowner.”
Read the letter at: https://bit.ly/3vmYroe