County homebuyer program issues 100th shopping letter

Eighteen households displaced by the 2023 Maui wildfires received shopping letters Tuesday through a county homebuyer assistance program, bringing the total number of letters issued to 100.

The Ho'okumu Hou First-Time Homebuyer Opportunity Program offers qualified households up to $600,000 to bridge the gap between what they can finance through a mortgage and the cost of purchasing an eligible home within Maui County.

A shopping letter confirms that a household has been approved to begin searching for an eligible home within its approved price range. Program staff and housing partners continue supporting recipients through the steps needed to complete their purchases.

Recipients gathered with their 'ohana at the Lahaina Resource Center on Tuesday to celebrate their next step toward homeownership.

Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said the program was developed through the county’s Office of Recovery and is the only program of its kind in the nation.

"We didn't have a blueprint for this. Nothing like it had been done before, but instead of accepting what couldn't be done, our County team asked what we could do differently to help our families. And through creativity, persistence and collaboration, we built something new that was solutions-oriented, broke down barriers and created opportunities that put our people first," Bissen said.

U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda said rebuilding after the Maui wildfires is about more than putting a roof over people’s heads.

"It's about helping survivors heal and ensuring local families can continue to call this place home for generations to come," she said.

Among Tuesday’s recipients were Nancy and Hiva Takafua, whose family home was lost in the Lahaina wildfire. Accompanied by their eight children, the couple received the 100th shopping letter from Bissen.

"Becoming homeowners would mean more to our family than words can explain," Nancy Takafua said. "After losing everything in the Lahaina fire and having to live in temporary housing, all we have wanted is a stable place to call home again. With eight children, having that security and knowing we won't have to keep worrying about where we will live would be such a blessing."

With funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery program, the county has awarded more than $24.6 million to eligible homebuyers.

As of Tuesday, 43 home purchases had been completed, with more than 100 family members living in those homes, according to the county.

While the application period for the First-Time Homebuyer Opportunity Program closed in September 2025, other housing assistance remains available to those impacted by the 2023 Maui wildfires.

The county’s Ho'okumu Hou programs also include assistance for eligible homeowners rebuilding wildfire-destroyed homes or seeking reimbursement for completed reconstruction.

For more information, visit hookumuhou.mauicounty.gov.