The Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, through its Maui Strong Fund, has been awarded $7.5 million to help families on Maui begin rebuilding homes that were lost to the August 2023 wildfires.

According to organization officials, the investment is part of a new public-private initiative, the Partnership to Rebuild Lahaina, in collaboration with Hawai’i Community Lending and Maui County. The funding will support 77 homeowners with starting or completing reconstruction of their homes.

According to a news release, HCL will manage the program, working directly with families to determine eligibility, originate affordable loans and connect them with additional financing from local banks. The program aims to unlock an estimated $11.7 million in private and public funding, expanding the impact beyond the initial investment.

Organizers said that since the wildfire, the community lending group has supported more than 500 Lahaina homeowners through its Lahaina Homeowner Recovery Program and the Kānaka Anti-Displacement Fund by providing grants, loans and one-on-one financial navigation.

These efforts have focused on helping homeowners recover from wildfire impacts by securing financing, accessing construction services and addressing funding gaps.

The new phase of support focuses on middle-income families who do not qualify for federal assistance, specifically, those earning more than 80% of Maui County’s area median income, or approximately $90,640 for a family of four.

These families often fall into a gray area of earning too much to receive federal aid, but not enough to rebuild on their own, organizers said.

To date, the Maui Strong Fund has committed more than $141 million to more than 250 local organizations supporting critical needs across housing, health care, mental health, education, economic recovery and cultural resilience.

For resources and more information, go to strongerhawaii.org. To learn more about the Maui Strong Fund or to donate, visit hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/strengthening/maui-strong-fund.