Resources available for Maui hosts impacted by fires
Note: This resource list will continue to be updated as more programs are launched to support those residents impacted by the fires. Updated 8/16/23
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Disaster Assistance
Apply for FEMA Assistance: All individuals impacted by the Maui fires should apply for FEMA assistance.
Visit www.DisasterAssistance.gov or call 800-621-FEMA (3362) to apply.
Have the following information ready when applying:
phone number
address of the damaged property
Social Security number
bank account information
insurance information
a brief description of damages
a mailing address.
Insurance Claims: FEMA advises impacted individuals to begin their insurance claims ASAP.
Government disaster assistance only covers basic needs and usually will not compensate for the entire loss.
Small Business Administration (SBA) Loans
Business Physical Disaster Loans: Eligible for up to $2 million for the repair or replacement of real estate, inventories, machinery, equipment, and other physical losses.
Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL): Small businesses, small agricultural businesses, and nonprofits that have sustained significant economic losses may be eligible for up to $2 million in EIDL.
Homeowners and Renters: May also be eligible for SBA loans to repair or replace disaster-related damages to homes or personal property.
Application Process: Register with FEMA at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, then apply for SBA loans at DisasterLoanAssistance.sba.gov.
Application Deadlines: October 10, 2023, for physical damage loans, and May 10, 2024, for EIDL.
Mail Pickup for Lahaina Residents
The U.S. Postal Service has announced that, effective immediately, Lahaina residents can pick up their mail at the Wailuku Post Office.
Customers normally served by the Lahaina Main and Lahaina Downtown Post Offices should temporarily pick up their mail at the dutch door in the lobby of the Wailuku Post Office at 250 Imi Kala Street, Wailuku, 96793.
Hours for pick up are 7:00am - 6:00pm weekdays and Saturdays and 8:00am - 4:30pm on Sundays.
Customers must present a photo ID for mail pick-up.
In order to ensure that expected packages are available for pickup, customers are advised to confirm via tracking that the item has arrived at the local post office.
Unemployment Benefits
If your employment was lost or interrupted due to the fires, apply for unemployment insurance benefits at huiclaims.hawaii.gov or call 808-984-8400.
Additional unemployment benefits related to the disaster are provided by the federal government for those individuals who do not qualify for the state’s unemployment insurance program. For more information on the federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance ("DUA") program, including benefit levels, visit oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/disaster.asp
What are the Eligibility Requirements for DUA?
You must be an unemployed worker or an unemployed self-employed individual who does not qualify for any other unemployment benefits under any federal or state law.
You lost your primary source of income because you can no longer perform services in employment or self-employment as a direct result of the major disaster.
Your unemployment is a direct result of the major disaster if:
– You were laid off or partially laid off from employment, or your place of business is no longer operating because of physical damage or destruction of your work site, or
– You are unable to reach the place where services are performed because it was closed by the government due to the disaster, or
– You were laid off due to lack of work or loss of revenues, and your employer or your business received, prior to the disaster, a majority of its income from an entity that was damaged or destroyed, or closed by the government as a result of the disaster, or
– You were to start employment or self-employment and either do not have a job or a place to perform your business, or you are unable to reach the work site as a direct result of the disaster, or
– You have become the major support for a household because the head of the household who was an employee has died as a direct result of the disaster, or
– You cannot perform services in employment or self-employment because of an injury caused as a direct result of the disaster.
• You must file your application for DUA benefits within 30 days following the announcement by the State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations of the availability of DUA. If you fail to file within 30 days, good cause must be established but no DUA application will be accepted beyond 26 weeks after the announcement date.
• You must be able to work and available for work (unless you are physically injured as a result of the major disaster and/or you are a self-employed worker engaged in activities solely for the purpose of resuming self-employment).
• You must register for work with the Workforce Development Division (WDD) within 7 days after you apply for DUA or as instructed by the Unemployment Insurance Office. You must post an online resume in HireNetHawaii, WDD’s Internet job matching system, at www.hirenethawaii.com.
• You have not refused a bona fide offer of suitable employment without good cause or have not refused to resume or commence suitable self-employment if the work could have been undertaken.
• You meet all other eligibility requirements for a regular unemployment insurance claim, except where inconsistent with the DUA provisions.
NOTE: If you are a self-employed individual, DUA benefits are payable only until such time that there are no substantial restrictions as a direct result of the disaster, (such as, structural damage to your place of business; or loss or damage to equipment, inventory, business records, or vehicles used in your business) which prevent you from performing your customary services or activities. Whether there are any substantial restrictions will be determined on a case-by-case basis by a claims examiner. If you can perform your customary services but are not doing so, or only on a limited basis due to a lack of customers, you are not considered to be unemployed as a direct result of the disaster and will not be eligible for DUA benefits.
Enrolling in Health Insurance
Due to the public health emergency, the State of Hawaii has the flexibility to change how it administers the Med-QUEST program, such as increasing eligibility for Medicaid coverage and making it simpler to enroll. If you lost your job or suffered loss of income, you may be eligible for health insurance. For more information, please visit: https://medical.mybenefits.hawaii.gov/
Other Health-Related Resources
Mental Health Support: Department of Health Maui Community Mental Health Center: Offering crisis mental health services and expanded hours for those experiencing emotional or psychological distress. To receive services, contact the center by phone at (808) 984-2150, via email at mauiwellness@doh.hawaii.gov or in-person at 121 Mahalani St. in Wailuku. Clinic hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every day. After hours, speak to a local crisis counselor at (808) 832-3100, (800) 753-6879 or call/text/chat with 988.
Disaster Distress Hotline: Call or text the Disaster Distress Hotline at 1-800-989-5990 any time of day to access crisis counseling and support.
Medicare Beneficiaries: If you have Medicare and lost or realized damage to your medical equipment, contact 1-800-MEDICARE for assistance.
Locating a Family Member
Call (808) 244-9056 (Maui Memorial Medical Center) or (808) 878-1221 (Kula Hospital) to verify information.