Displaced families scramble to meet deadline to stay in Maui hotels

The American Red Cross on Friday was working with approximately 800 families displaced by the Aug. 8 Maui wildfires who were housed over the past 45 days in hotels and similar accommodations to meet the end-of-the-day deadline to obtain approval to continue with those arrangements.

Roughly 3,200 families, or about 7,800 people, were being housed in lodging at nearly 40 properties under the Red Cross’ noncongregate shelter program, and 2,200 of those households had completed the required eligibility process and were approved to remain in place until longer-term housing is ready for them, according to a news release from Gov. Josh Green’s office.

But as of noon Friday about 800 households still in the program had yet to contact the Red Cross to resolve questions about their eligibility, the release said, and for fewer than 600 of them, the only remaining issue was registration with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

About 200 households were determined to be fully eligible on Friday morning alone, officials said.

Households that didn’t meet the eligibility requirements by the deadline were told they would lose key access to their lodging today. Officials said those in the noncongregate shelter program “received multiple phone calls, text messages and letters from the Red Cross to complete their registration” and were advised they had 48 hours to contact the Red Cross to resolve any remaining issues or they would lose key access to their units.

With 3,000 families either approved or close to approval Friday, officials did not explain whether the remaining 200 households decided not to continue in the program or were denied eligibility.

When asked by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser whether the state was making arrangements to house anyone who missed the Red Cross deadline and still needed a place to stay, a spokesperson for Green said the governor had previously remarked that “we’re not going to kick people out of hotels” and “we don’t want anyone to be without a roof over their head.”

Details of any such arrangements were not provided.

Maui Mayor Richard Bissen expressed appreciation to the Red Cross and the hotels that housed displaced families, saying the arrangements allowed them to transition out of the large emergency shelters that were initially set up in gymnasiums and church halls.

“I’ve received a number of concerns from our community about the status of those in temporary shelter at a hotel as we approached Sept. 30. I was able to speak today with representatives of American Red Cross, FEMA and the state and confirm for those affected that on Sept. 30, shelter support will continue for those who have completed registering with FEMA and the American Red Cross,” Bissen said in a statement Friday evening.

He also said that in addition to the 800 households that were finalizing their registration with the Red Cross and FEMA on Friday, another 100 had pending exemptions under review.

In a video statement Friday, Brad Kieserman, vice president for disaster operations and logistics for the American Red Cross, said, “The only way that you’re not going to able to stay is if you refuse to register with FEMA if you’re a U.S. citizen or qualified alien, or if you refuse to talk to the Red Cross if you’re not, and if your home was not rendered uninhabitable by the fires. So that’s it; those are the only two reasons you wouldn’t be able to stay in noncongregate shelters.”

The Red Cross program is available regardless of citizenship or immigration status, and Kieserman and Green emphasized that the nongovernmental relief agency does not share such information with the U.S. government.

Separately Friday, Green announced that the state, in partnership with the nonprofit Project Vision Hawai‘i, has opened a temporary shelter in Kahului for wildfire survivors who were experiencing homelessness before the disaster and aren’t eligible for assistance that is available only to those who lost structures in the fires.

The Pu‘uhonua o Nene shelter comprises multiple military-grade tents that can house a total of approximately 150 people. Each tent is fully insulated and equipped with cots and other supplies. Meals, transportation, on-site medical facilities, showers and rest­rooms are being provided, and pets are welcome. Daily medical and social services will be provided by Project Vision Hawai‘i staff and partners from I Ola Lahui and Maui Medics Hui. Additionally, state-funded disaster case managers will work with survivors to develop a recovery plan, according to a news release.

The temporary shelter is for adults only. Green said the state Department of Human Services was able to secure resources to support families with children, and the Red Cross is allowing them to remain in hotels until a housing alternative is identified.

Meanwhile, the Maui Police Department on Friday named Lahaina resident Allen John Constantino, 25, as one of the 97 people known to have died in the Aug. 8 wildfire. So far, MPD has released the names of all but seven of the fatalities, and another of them has been identified but their family had not yet been contacted.

MPD also said only 12 names remained on Friday’s weekly update of its “credible list of unaccounted for/missing individuals” from the Lahaina wildfire. They are Artur Babkov, Akili Shawn Bryant, Lydia Coloma, Jean Eliason, Paul Kasprzycki, Michael Steven Mah­nensmith, Michael Misaka, Robert H. Owens, Dale Ann Richter, Lee Rogo, Leslie Eade Smith and Elmer Lee Stevens.

In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, more than 3,000 people were reported unaccounted for on various unofficial crowd-sourced lists. By Aug. 24, after vetting by the FBI and MPD, the official list of the unaccounted for numbered 388 and quickly dwindled from there as the missing were located or identified as among the dead.

MPD is reporting only on people for whom a missing-person report was filed with police.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION

>> For more information the Pu‘uhonua o Nene temporary shelter, call 808-754-1241, email mauistrong@projectvisionhawaii.org or visit projectvisionhawaii.org.

>> Contact the American Red Cross at 800-RED-CROSS (800-733-3767).

>> To file a missing-person report in connection with the Lahaina wildfire, call the Maui Police Department at 808-244-6400 or email unaccounted@mpd.net.