Rebuilding Maui Together

Hard to believe it has been 9 months since devastating fires ravaged West Maui. The loss of Lahaina, a town my family and I have visited for twenty years, was one of the most traumatic things we’ve bore witness to as we sat on a balcony in Kaanapali and saw the town burn. The days that followed were nothing short of horrific as the body counts grew and the number of burned structures climbed into the thousands. Closing in on the one-year anniversary, I wanted to remind myself and everyone reading of the impact the fire has had on the people of Maui and the efforts of many to help with the recovery.

With over 100 deaths and thousands of displaced people, the trauma this community has faced is incomprehensible. For weeks following the fires the town was without resources -- no Wi-Fi or internet, limited food and water, electricity, and, of course, shelter. Hotels have provided temporary housing since the fires, however, the largest challenge over the past nine months has been transitioning displaced residents to some form of permanent housing. FEMA-eligible residents continue to reside in hotels and other facilities, while FEMA-ineligible residents have lost all support. 

The need for housing is immediate and that is where HomeAid comes in. HomeAid is a non-profit developer of housing and programmatic facilities for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. As a Board Member, I’ve seen HomeAid grow from a small single Affiliate in the back conference room of our office to 19 Affiliates across 13 states.

HomeAid Hawaii, under the leadership of our Executive Director Kimo Carvalho, has been working tirelessly to develop interim housing for the displaced residents of Maui. In partnership with the State, HomeAid has broken ground in developing an interim housing site in Lahaina known as Ka La’i Ola -- The Place of Peaceful Recovery. The site will house up to 1,500 displaced Maui residents in 500 modular Studio, 1, 2 & 3 bedroom dwellings. 

This effort represents the largest project HomeAid has embarked on in our 35-year history and close to 1,300 completed projects. It is a herculean task at a monumental cost, and I want to personally thank every consultant and individual who has dedicated time and resources toward this recovery. I want to especially thank:

  • Jeff Roos, National Chair of HomeAid, for his leadership and immediate commitment of resources immediately  following this disaster.

  • Kimo’s steadfast management and interface with the Governor and other agencies is indispensable.

  • HomeAid CEO Scott Larsen for his vision and determination.

  • Mark Kiner, Garrett Wilkinson and Milo Olea from our office are owed a huge thank you for their time and efforts in the visioning and planning of this important site.

Construction of this community – this place of recovery -- will cost approximately $120M. We are still in need of $5M dollars from the generosity of our community. As the housing industry, we can help move these residents forward with childcare, healthcare, playgrounds, gardens, and other outdoor activities/amenities. 

Please consider a donation to Ka La’i Ola to help displaced Maui residents return to a sense of normalcy, to rebuild their lives. If you have it in your heart to donate, please click this link https://donorbox.org/ka-lai-ola.