Gov. Josh Green announced Monday that the first Maui wildfire survivors moved into newly completed housing units in Kihei as the one-year anniversary of the Aug. 8, 2023, fires nears. 

The Hale ʻO Lāʻie interim housing project (formerly the Haggai Institute) will include 150 hotel-style studios and studio suites with compact-size refrigerators and microwaves.

As part of the Hawaii Interim Housing Program, the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation purchased the properties in coordination with the Hawaii Office of Recovery and Resiliency and the State Department of Human Services.

Currently, eight households are moving into the complex. The state is offering the units at no cost to survivors for at least a year. More than 500 households have started the application process for the units. 

“The objective of HIHP is to provide as many housing options as possible for Maui wildfire survivors because we recognize that each household has unique circumstances and needs,” Green said in a statement. “The opening of Hale ʻO Lāʻie goes a long way toward meeting that objective and building upon our focus of providing housing solutions on Maui.”

The Hawaii Interim Housing Program also includes Ka Laʻi Ola, which is being built in West Maui and will be the largest interim housing development for Maui wildfire survivors. This project will provide up to 450 modular homes for FEMA-ineligible wildfire survivors.

The program will match households with units based on their needs and availability of housing. 

“We are grateful for the funding provided by the Legislature and the hard work put into this effort by Maui County, our sister state agencies and our management agent, Paramount Hotels, which expeditiously managed an extensive maintenance program to bring the units online,” said HHFDC Executive Director Dean Minakami in a statement. 

To apply, visit this website or call 1-808-727-1550.