Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Actions Supporting Hawai’i Homeowners Seeking to Rebuild After Wildfires

HUD No. 24-203 HUD Public Affairs (202) 708-0685

FOR RELEASE Thursday August 8, 2024

Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Actions Supporting Hawai'i Homeowners Seeking to Rebuild After Wildfires

Extended flexibility for borrowers through the Federal Housing Administration now allows more time to finance single family home reconstruction in Maui County, HI.

WASHINGTON - Today, on the one-year anniversary of the tragic Maui wildfires, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), through its Federal Housing Administration (FHA), announced new actions to support borrowers in Maui County, HI, whose homes were destroyed during the August 2023 wildfires. Effective immediately, eligible borrowers and renters in Maui County who lost their homes, and are in the process of rebuilding or buying another home, can continue to use FHA's 203(h) Mortgage Insurance for Disaster Victims program to receive up to 100 percent financing. This latest action underscores the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to rebuilding Maui communities and helping families recover from disaster.

Today's announcements are part of the Biden-Harris Administration's ongoing coordinated and comprehensive Federal response to ensure the long-term recovery of survivors and impacted communities. The White House outlined today the Administration's priorities for ongoing and long-term recovery efforts, including moving residents from temporary shelters into longer term housing solutions, supporting home rebuilding efforts, and ensuring that new homes are climate resilient, so families can stay safe as climate-fueled extreme weather events become more frequent due to climate change.

"After wildfires hit Maui last year, people's homes were destroyed, and people's lives were disrupted. Immediately after, HUD got to work to help people recover," said HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman. "This included providing support for people who live in HUD subsidized homes, and providing support for people who were homeless. With this action, today we are continuing our support for homeowners to ensure that they can rebuild and stay on Maui."

A waiver issued today lifts the requirement that borrowers apply for 203(h) financing by the one-year anniversary of the Presidentially Declared Major Disaster. Today's change allows lenders to offer 203(h) financing to Maui borrowers through August 10, 2025.

This new flexibility follows FHA's third extension of its foreclosure moratorium for borrowers with FHA-insured single family mortgages in Maui County, HI, which now runs through January 1, 2025. FHA is continuing this relief due to the extent of the devastation from the wildfires, the reduced capacity for borrowers to access needed construction supplies and resources, the number of jobs that have not yet returned, and other unique challenges associated with the geographic location of Maui. The extension will provide affected borrowers in Maui County more time to obtain federal, state, and local assistance, to work with a HUD-certified housing counselor, and/or to rebuild without the added burden of dealing with foreclosure actions.

"We remain committed to doing all that we can to help residents of Maui County recover from the 2023 wildfires," said Federal Housing Commissioner Julia Gordon. "Extending the time to use FHA financing for rebuilding, in addition to extending our foreclosure moratorium, reflects our strong desire to continue helping families trying to rebuild their lives after this uniquely catastrophic event."

Immediately after wildfires hit the community, HUD issued new flexibilities, provided new resources, and ensured that HUD partners on the ground were ready to assist those affected. HUD then awarded more than $8 million in Rapid Unsheltered Survivor Housing (RUSH) - $6.9 million in February 2024 and $1.3 million in August 2023 - to address the needs of individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and have needs not otherwise served or fully met by existing Federal disaster relief programs.

For Borrowers and Renters in Maui County

• For those with a home with a mortgage insured by FHA in the Maui County disaster area and who are unable to make their mortgage payments, immediate relief is available. Homeowners are likely to have a range of options that can help them avoid the need to default on their mortgage or to sell their home or land. Borrowers should contact their mortgage servicer for assistance as soon as practical. Borrowers may also contact the FHA Resource Center at (800) CALL-FHA (1-800-877-8339; or for TTY 1-800-877-8339), or by email at [email protected], for assistance.
• For borrowers and renters who need immediate housing and disaster recovery assistance, HUD-certified housing counselors are prepared and well-trained to provide guidance on the options that are available. To find a HUD-approved housing counseling agency, borrowers can use HUD's online search tool at hud.gov/findacounselor or use our phone search by calling (800) 569-4287 or (202) 708-1455 (TTY).