More Than $330 Million in Federal Grants and Disaster Loans Provided to Support Response and Recovery Efforts
FEMA Administrator Criswell, SBA Administrator Guzman to travel to Maui to Meet with State and Local Officials and Discuss Ongoing Recovery Efforts
Six months after the start of the unprecedented wildfires on Maui, Hawaiʻi, the Biden-Harris Administration continues to support survivors and affected communities through a whole-of-government response and recovery effort. Since the onset of this tragedy, the Administration has provided more than $330 million in Federal grants and disaster loans to support response and recovery efforts, while hundreds of personnel from across dozens of Federal departments and agencies continue working with State and local partners on the ground to support Maui as it continues its long-term recovery. To mark the six-month anniversary, FEMA Administrator Criswell and SBA Administrator Guzman will travel to Maui this week to meet with State and local officials and discuss ongoing recovery efforts.
As President Biden made clear during his visit to Maui last August, the Biden-Harris Administration will continue to do everything in its power to help Maui recover and rebuild the way the people of Maui want, while respecting sacred lands, cultures, and traditions, for as long as it takes.
Here is an update on the Biden-Harris Administration's coordinated Federal response and recovery efforts:
- More than 445 Federal personnel remain on the ground in Hawaiʻi, 232 of whom are on Maui, assisting residents in their greatest time of need. To ensure the effectiveness of Federal support, President Biden appointed Bob Fenton as his Chief Federal Response Coordinator. Fenton continues to lead the integrated response, recovery and rebuilding effort on Maui in coordination with State and local leadership.
- To date, the Biden-Harris Administration has approved more than $43.7 million in assistance to 7,013 households.
- In the wake of the wildfires, President Biden made additional disaster funding available to the state of Hawaiʻi, unlocking the Federal government's ability to cover all eligible expenses for debris removal and emergency protective measures on Maui County and assistance for emergency protective measures for Hawaiʻi County. The President authorized the Federal cost share for debris removal to be increased from 75% to 100% for 180 days within the first 270 days of the incident. The President also authorized the Federal cost share for emergency protective measures to be increased to 100% of the total eligible costs for a 90-day period that the Governor selects within the first 180 days of the incident.
- Through its Direct Lease program, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is working to find and manage apartments, condominiums, and other suitable living quarters, which can be leased for survivors. FEMA has secured 1,404 leased properties for survivors. Some 162 households have been placed in temporary homes.
- Nearly 700 personnel from the Department of Defense and the U.S. Coast Guard have participated in the coordinated response to the Maui wildfires - from supporting aerial fire suppression and providing strategic air transportation, to assisting with potable water distribution and providing grief counseling and emotional support, to providing additional life-sustaining support.
- The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Honolulu Division continues its months-long effort to assist the Maui Police Department with their efforts to locate and identify victims of the wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii, by helping collect DNA samples from family members. The FBI, in coordination with the Maui Police Department, have reduced the number of unaccounted for missing persons to 3.
- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues to provide public works and engineering support, which includes debris collection and removal; the construction of a temporary elementary school campus for the Lahaina community, which benefits approximately 600 elementary school students; and managing the conceptual design, site preparation, and construction for approximately 400 - 600 temporary housing "pads" or places to put housing units on.
- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) remains on the ground on Maui to help restore and maintain safe drinking water, stormwater, and wastewater services. Arriving within days of the devastating wildfire, EPA personnel swiftly assessed the burn area; installed air monitors to protect the health of first responders; developed and executed first-in-the-nation protocols to safely dispose of electric vehicle and solar energy storage batteries damaged by the wildfires; protected air and water by stabilizing ash; and developed a precedent-setting approach to preserve cultural artifacts that honored the traditions of the native Hawaiians who have called Maui home for centuries. Throughout this initial phase, the agency had more than 300 responders working with Federal, state, local, and community cultural leaders to remove 200 tons of hazardous materials from over 1,400 properties. On November 30, 2023, the agency completed its mission to safely clean up and remove hazardous materials and transitioned work to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the next phase of the recovery process.
- The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved more than $290 million in Federal disaster loans for Hawaiʻi businesses and residents impacted by wildfires. The SBA continues to operate two Disaster Business Recovery Centers for survivors of the Maui wildfires and is part of the multi-agency presence at the Disaster Recovery Centers, assisting small businesses and most non-profits in all five counties. Information and details on the location of the business recovery center and disaster recovery centers are available by calling the SBA Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955. These Centers provide services to survivors, including homeowners, renters, and small business owners seeking financial assistance.
SBA is continuing outreach to businesses throughout Hawaiʻi to take advantage of the Physical Damage and Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, and staff are working with survivors in every major community throughout Maui through local assistance centers and a Center staff outreach campaign. To be considered for all forms of disaster assistance, including low-interest disaster loans from SBA, survivors must first register with FEMA.
