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  • Dear BIA Hawaii Members,

    Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Maui. I've received many calls and messages from members who want to get involved in wildfire disaster relief efforts, and I want to thank you for your concern and willingness to take action.

    I want to share with you that BIA Hawaii is actively working on ways that the association and our members can be of assistance to the Maui community. 

    In the coming weeks, months, and years, we will explore partnerships with the Maui community to assist in recovery and rebuilding efforts. 
    We are actively working with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Disaster Relief Field Specialist to develop resources we can share given NAHB’s experience in assisting other communities that have been affected by natural disasters. 

    We would like to stand up a committee to explore ways that BIA Hawaii can be of assistance. If you are interested in joining this committee, please let me know.

    Please consider a donation to:

    We will provide more information as the situation unfolds. In moments like these, the resilience of our members, our industry, and our communities throughout Hawaii comes to the forefront. I'm proud to work with and for you, and I will do my best to share your resounding message of support in the conversations to come. Please feel free to call me on my cell at 805-680-4922.

  • Building Industry Resources

    If you sustained physical damage to your business of any size, you may be eligible for up to $2 million in Business Physical Disaster Loans for the repair or replacement of real estate, inventories, machinery, equipment and all other physical losses. The deadline to apply for SBA physical damage loans is October 10, 2023.

    To apply for any SBA loan, you must first register with FEMA at DisasterAssistance.gov. 

    After registering with FEMA, businesses and homeowners who would like to apply for SBA loans should visit DisasterLoanAssistance.sba.gov.

    Online: DisasterLoanAssistance.sba.gov

    Phone: 1-800-659-2955

    Email: disastercustomerservice@sba.gov

    In-person: SBA Business Recovery Center at Hawaii Technology Development Corporation (590 Lipoa Pkwy., Building #A, Ste. 119 (Conference Room), Kihei, HI 96753). The center is open Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:00pm and Saturdays 10:00am-2:00pm.

    More information is available by calling the Honolulu office: 808-541-2990 or visiting sba.gov.

    • IRS Tax Relief
      The Internal Revenue Service announced that wildfire victims will have until Feb. 15, 2024, to file various individual and business tax returns and make tax payments.

    • Maui Nui Strong

    A list of resources including loans, for businesses affected by the wildfires.

    Unemployment Benefits

    • If your employment, including self-employment, was lost or interrupted due to the fires, visit huiclaims.hawaii.gov or call 808-984-8400 to apply for unemployment insurance benefits.

    • 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 program, including benefit levels, visit oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/disaster.asp

    • Modest Needs is a tax-exempt charity where donors can make small, emergency grants to low-income workers who’re at risk of slipping into poverty and for whom no other source of immediate help is available.

    Email: doiqualify@modestneeds.org 
    Phone: (844) 667-3776

    Communication Resources

    • Aloha United Way, 211
      211 provides information and referrals about emergency resources and services to Hawaii residents, which operates seven days a week between the hours of 7am and 10pm. Programs and resources include shelters, healthcare, food, school closures and much more.

    Call, text, or chat 211

    Find a shelter: call 1 800 RED CROSS (800-733-2767)

    Housing Resources

    • Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc.
      Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc., (MEO) administers several County, State and Federally funded housing assistance programs and grants. Each program has different guidelines and requirements to best serve our community with varying levels of need. Each application received is reviewed by a Housing Specialist to determine what current program may be available to best meet the client’s needs. Apply online.

    ·        Phone: (808) 249-2970
    Email: rap@meoinc.org

    ·        The Department of Hawaiian Homelands
    655 Kaumualii St. Suite 1, Wailuku
    Phone: (808) 760-5120

    ·        Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement Kupuna Rental Subsidy Program
    Phone: (808) 596-8155
    Email: dhhl@hawaiiancouncil.org

    ·        House of Maui
    Started by the Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corporation, this program connects those who have lost their homes to the fires with Hawaiʻi homeowners who have vacant rooms, units, or houses they’re willing to offer on a temporary basis.

    • Women in Need
      Assisting women and their families with transitional housing and other services.

    ·        Phone: Oahu (808)486-1996 Kauai: (808) 245-1996
    Email: winhi@hawaiiantel.net
    Address: Oahu: 98-1238 Kaahumanu St. Ste. #403
    Kauai: 3136 Elua St, Lihue, HI 96766

    Federal & State Resources

    Mail Pickup for Lahaina Residents

    USPS 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.

    In addition to delivering mail and packages, USPS personnel at the Wailuku Post Office will be available to assist affected Lahaina customers with the process of forwarding their mail and/or changing their mailing addresses. USPS will make every effort to resume operations in Lahaina after west Maui roads become accessible. Many retail services including temporary forwards, stamps and more are also available anytime, online at USPS.com.

  • Updates from Governor Josh Green

     

    Health & Wellness Resources

    • Disaster Distress Helpline: Call or text 1-800-985-5990.

    • Hawaii CARES 988
      Local crisis counselors are available 24/7 via phone, text, or chat to connect you with resources for mental illness, substance use, and suicide prevention, as well as services for children and adolescents.

    Call or text 988, 24/7

    If you do not have a phone number with an 808 area code, call the hotline directly at (808) 832-3100 or toll-free (800-753-6879)

    Chat, 24/7 at https://988lifeline.org/chat

    • Hawaii Utelehealth
      Free behavioral telehealth services

    • SAMHSA – Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
      Disaster Distress Helpline –the first national hotline dedicated to providing year-round disaster crisis counseling. This toll-free, multilingual, crisis support service is available 24/7 to all residents in the U.S. and its territories who are experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters.
      Services available in multiple languages.

    Call or text 1-800-985-5990

    SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center Guide – (PDF download)

    Vulnerable Community Member Support

    • Members of the community who are vulnerable and may not be able to make it to aid hubs include those with communication, connectivity, or language barriers. Perhaps there are some who are handicapped or simply afraid to go to the hubs. These people may be in need of medications, food, water, and other immediate aid. A group called Red Lightening installed Starlink Satellites to aid with communication. If you know of someone who is displaced or remote, who has not or cannot communicate with the aid hubs, please call this number to ask for help. Operations manager: Cami. She is local from Lahaina and is available to talk to you to learn more about anyone who may need help. 808-283-0353. 

    Keiki Support

    Caregiver Support

    • To take care of our loved ones in time of crisis, we must care for ourselves first. Call Maui Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) at (808) 984-2150 or via email at mauiwellness@doh.hawaii.gov or in person at 121 Mahalani Street in Wailuku. Clinic hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. To accommodate immediate needs, the Center has expanded clinic hours on Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. After hours, contact Hawaiʻi CARES to speak to a local crisis counselor at 808-832-3100, 1-800-753-6879, or call/text/chat 988.

    • Women Helping Women If you or someone you know needs help or work like to speak with someone about domestic violence, confidential help is available 24 hours a day 24-hour hotline: (808) 579-9581
      Office: (808) 242-6600 Email: info@whwmaui.net

    Health Insurance Services

    Some of these services include insurance coverage extensions, payment extensions, removal of barriers to refill prescriptions both on and off island, primary care services over web and phone, and mental health & wellness support among other services. 

    Legal Resources

    • Disaster Legal Services (DLS) provides free legal help to low-income disaster survivors. If you're not able to get adequate legal services for your disaster-related needs, DLS may be able to help. DLS may help with –

      • Insurance claims for medical bills, loss of property, and loss of life.

      • New wills, powers of attorney, and other legal papers lost during the disaster.

      • Home repair contracts and contractors.

      • Problems with landlords.

      • Proof of home ownership.

      • FEMA appeals.

    DLS attorneys are not FEMA employees. The services they provide are confidential and they do not share information with FEMA.

    https://www.disasterassistance.gov/get-assistance/forms-of-assistance/4464

    Financial Resources

    Basic Needs Assistance

    • Maui United Way Emergency Financial Assistance
      Maui United Way is offering $1,000 in emergency financial assistance to adults who lived in the fire impact zone and directly suffered loss or damage. Eligible applicants should apply as soon as possible. Funds can be received in a number of convenient ways including pre-paid Visa cards, PayPal, Venmo or direct deposit to personal bank accounts.

    Apply online here or call 211 for help.

    The fastest way to apply is on DisasterAssistance.gov. You can also apply through the FEMA mobile app or by calling the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362. 

    Have the following information available when you apply:

    • A phone number and a reliable alternate in case FEMA needs to call you back;

    • Address of the damaged property;

    • Social Security number;

    • Bank account information or direct deposit information including routing and account numbers;

    • Insurance information (if you have insurance);

    • Brief description of damages (if known);

    • A mailing address;

    • Pen and paper to write down your registration number.

    FEMA officials also advise that impacted individuals begin their insurance claims ASAP.

    Government disaster assistance only covers basic needs and usually will not compensate you for your entire loss. If you have insurance, the government may help pay for basic needs not covered under your insurance policy.

    Loans

    • The U.S. Small Business Administration encourages homeowners, renters, businesses and nonprofits to apply for low interest disaster loans. Homeowners and renters may also be eligible for SBA loans to repair or replace disaster-related damages to homes or personal property. If you are a homeowner or renter, FEMA may refer you to the SBA to apply for low-interest loans to replace or repair disaster-damaged real estate and personal property including automobiles.

    The deadline to apply for SBA physical damage loans is October 10, 2023.

    o   To apply for any SBA loan, you must first register with FEMA at DisasterAssistance.gov. 

    o   After registering with FEMA, businesses and homeowners who would like to apply for SBA loans should visit DisasterLoanAssistance.sba.gov.

    More information is available at DisasterLoanAssistance.sba.gov. Questions should be directed to SBA’s Customer Service Center via email at FOCWAssistance@sba.gov or phone at 800-659-2955, Mondays through Sundays from 4 am to 4 pm, Hawai‘i time.

    Unemployment Benefits

    ·        If your employment, including self-employment, was lost or interrupted due to the fires, visit huiclaims.hawaii.gov or call 808-984-8400 to apply for unemployment insurance benefits.

    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 program, including benefit levels, visit oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/disaster.asp

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