A Maui program kept Lahaina families together by paying households to take in fire survivors

Associated Press

WAILUKU, Hawaii (AP) — As many as one-third of people displaced by the August 2023 Maui fires wound up in the homes of friends and family in the weeks after the disaster. It was a natural solution on an island already struggling with a housing crisis and where values like generosity and family are deeply rooted. A first-of-its-kind disaster-relief program supported those families by paying up to $2,000 per month to people who took in displaced loved ones. Disaster advocates say it’s a powerful example of how to shape support around survivors’ cultural values and preferences, while keeping families and communities intact.