The County of Maui Office of Recovery’s Hoʻokumu Hou program today announced major investments in the long-term recovery from the 2023 Maui wildfires with the selection of seven multifamily rental housing projects and 22 infrastructure and mitigation improvement projects that have been conditionally awarded Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding.

“We worked hard to bring these resources to Maui because we know how important it is to keep our families rooted here at home,” said Mayor Richard Bissen. “Through Hoʻokumu Hou, our focus is on creating clear pathways forward in our recovery, and these projects will help to do that by restoring much-needed affordable rental housing and provide the important infrastructure needed to support housing and the community overall.”

Hoʻokumu Hou is funded through the federal CDBG-DR program, made possible through close collaboration between the County of Maui and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to bring recovery funding to Maui. CDBG-DR provides critical gap funding after the exhaustion of other sources such as insurance, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance, etc.

Seven multifamily rental housing reconstruction projects have been approved, which will restore 519 affordable rental units in West Maui:

• Front Street Apartments: Phase 1: 167 units; Phase 2: 71 units
• Lahaina Surf: 111 units
• Hale Mahaolu Eono: 34 units
• Weinberg Court Apartments: 66 units
• Komohana Hale Apartments: 40 units
• Westside Affordable Housing: 30 units

Construction on Front Street Apartments is expected to begin in February 2027, according to project developers; timelines for the other multifamily projects are to be determined.

Twenty-two essential infrastructure and mitigation projects have been approved for Hoʻokumu Hou funding, within the following categories:

Roadway & Transportation

• Major corridor improvements, including Honoapiʻilani Highway realignment phase 1C (Lahaina Bypass extension)
• Street extensions and connector roads
• Repairs to damaged roads and sidewalks

Water & Wastewater

• Upgrades to recycled water systems
• Sewer system expansion and upsizing
• Replacement of critical wastewater pump stations
• Emergency power for essential water facilities

Community Facilities

• Reconstruction of public-serving facilities in West Maui, including the West Maui Senior Center
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The County’s CDBG-DR Action Plan set aside funding for infrastructure projects, separate from the funding reserved for housing construction, in recognition that improvements would be necessary to enable rebuilding in areas damaged by the wildfires. In addition, mitigation projects will utilize funds from a HUD-mandated set-aside that is also included in the Action Plan.

Funding for the multifamily rental housing, infrastructure and mitigation projects is subject to HUD approval. The County has included these projects into its second Action Plan substantial amendment, which is now available to view on hookumuhou.mauicounty.gov.

The public comment period for the proposed amendment is open now through April 6, 2026. Comments and questions regarding the substantial amendment may be submitted via the online form on the website listed above, via email to cdbg-dr@mauicounty.gov, by mail to the County of Maui, Office of Recovery, c/o CDBG-DR, 200 S. High St., Wailuku, HI 96793, or in person at either the Lahaina Resource Center located at 325 Keawe Street, Suite 102B, Lahaina or the Kāko’o Maui Resource Center located at 153 Kamehameha Ave, Suite 101, Kahului.

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