Governor delivers address on first year in office
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The Maui News
Gov. Josh Green said that if federal direct leases and rental assistance grants are not adequate to house West Maui fire survivors, he will authorize the construction of "hundreds of transitional units" to ensure there is enough housing.
Green made the comments during an address Tuesday morning detailing his actions during his first year in office, including the state's response to the Aug. 8 wildfires in Lahaina and Kula.
Green said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency registered more than 17,000 survivors for services and will provide them with more than 18 months of rental assistance.
To date, disbursed is more than $120 million in housing assistance to those affected and they will receive another $130 million in state and federal aid, Green said.
He added that FEMA continues to assist the state with direct leases and rental assistance grants to ensure that people stay housed into 2025.
"If these housing options are not adequate for the people of West Maui, we will authorize the construction of hundreds of transitional units in the region to make sure we have enough housing for our needs," Green said.
As Green delivered his address live on Facebook, the Maui County Council was hearing testimony on a bill proposed by Mayor Richard Bissen that offers a property tax exemption for short-term rental owners to rent long term to wildfire survivors. There were at least 40 people that signed up to testify Tuesday morning and around 1,000 pages of written testimony sent to the council.
The bill, which was amended, passed on first reading by a vote of 6 to 0 with three council members excused.
For more on this story see Thursday's edition of The Maui News.
Green also touched upon other programs and aid the state and federal government has provided to wildfire victims.
This includes the Maui Recovery Fund, which community and business leaders have come together to provide funds to Maui families who have lost loved ones or have suffered serious injuries in the fires.
Green reiterated that the state has already secured commitments from initial partners including the state, Maui County, Kamehameha Schools and Hawaiian Electric and have begun to finalize the details of how to best make these funds available.
There is also a rental assistance program announced Friday by the state Department of Human Services to help people relocate from hotel rooms to homes.
Other areas Green reflected on were the administration's negotiation of a new four-year contract with the Hawaii State Teachers Association, which he said will provide substantial pay increases for newly hired teachers and higher salaries and bonuses for experienced educators.
He also pointed to the dedication of $73 million per year in state and federal funds to raising Medicaid rates, which will improve care for the 450,000 Hawaii residents currently on Medicaid.
Green also pointed to signing the Emergency Proclamation on Homelessness in January, which allowed the state to begin the construction of up to 12 kauhale villages statewide in the coming years.
Green said that the past 12 months, especially the last four "have been full of difficult challenges, devastating loss, and unimaginable heartbreak for us in Hawaii."
He expressed his gratitude to the people of Hawaii for its "resilience, your heart and your commitment to each other."
"We have been through so much and we have accomplished so much this year," he said. "And I am confident that in the coming years, if we continue to live up to our values and put them into action the way we did this year, there is no challenge we can't overcome, and no goals we can't accomplish together."