New loan assistance will help Lahaina families rebuild homes after wildfires

Maui County is launching a new loan program this summer to help middle-income Lahaina homeowners who are still struggling to rebuild since the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires.

The Deferred Payment Loan Program is aimed at residents who fall into the “gap group ”—families who make too much to qualify for federal disaster assistance but not enough to cover the full cost of rebuilding on their own.

Maui County is committing $7.5 million to the program as part of its fiscal year 2026 budget, with additional contributions expected from philanthropic partners.

The Hawaii Community Foundation and Maui United Way have pledged to support the program financially, though exact amounts have not yet been announced. The county’s share will be administered through Hawaii Community Lending, which will act as the implementing agency.

The program is scheduled to launch later this summer, with July as a tentative target date.

Interested Lahaina homeowners can begin the application process through the Lahaina Homeowner Recovery Program at hawaii communitylending.com /mauirelief, to find information about eligibility, required documentation and available support services.

The loans, which require no monthly payments upfront, are designed to close critical funding gaps that have left many families in limbo nearly two years after the disaster.

“This is about ensuring everyone has a path forward, ” Mayor Richard Bissen said in a statement. “Our community deserves a recovery that reaches all—from our most vulnerable residents to the middle-class families who may not qualify for federal aid but still need support to rebuild their homes and lives. This partnership is a commitment to them.”

The Deferred Payment Loan Program is a collaboration among Maui County, HCF, MUW and HCL, which expands on an earlier initiative already underway through the Lahaina Homeowner Recovery Program.

Josiah Nishita, Maui County managing director at the Department of Management, said the new loan program has been in the works for some time as officials looked for ways to support families left out of traditional disaster funding streams.

Although the county continues to coordinate with FEMA, the Small Business Administration and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to bring in long-term recovery dollars through the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery—or CDBG-DR—program, that federal assistance comes with strict eligibility criteria and income thresholds.

“The…