Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
KA ‘OIHANA PILI KAUA
Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency

Deadline to Enroll in Temporary Emergency Lodging is September 15, 2023

For Immediate Release: September 8, 2023                                                                                                                           Release No. 2023-0025

HONOLULU — Only one week is left for survivors of the Maui wildfires to sign up with the American Red Cross for temporary emergency housing through the non-congregate sheltering (NCS) program.

Anyone who wishes to begin using the NCS program, which offers lodging in hotels and other properties rather than group shelters, must sign up no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, September 15. Those who already have signed up will continue to receive shelter and services through the program as long as they are eligible. Eligible applicants do not need to re-register.

The Red Cross is coordinating with the State of Hawai‘i, County of Maui, and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to care for displaced survivors in hotels on Maui. Once it determines they are eligible, the Red Cross supports these families and individuals throughout their stay with meals, mental health support, health services, reunification services, spiritual care, financial assistance, and casework. The Red Cross continues to mobilize government and non-governmental organization partners on Maui to provide additional support and services to NCS residents.

As of September 6, 2023, the Red Cross is managing 29 NCS hotel locations on Maui and is caring for more than 5,800 people from more than 2,100 survivor households.

Eligible households include those who resided — whether they rented or owned — in Maui County at the time of the disaster and whose homes are now uninhabitable due to the wildfires.

To remain eligible, NCS participants must apply for FEMA assistance and not withdraw their application. (However, an NCS participant need not be eligible for FEMA assistance to be eligible for NCS). The Red Cross is assisting anyone affected by the wildfires regardless of whether they are eligible to remain in NCS.

We encourage eligible households who need a safe place to stay and have not yet contacted the Red Cross to call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). September 15, 2023, is the last day for survivors to contact the Red Cross with a need for emergency lodging and be entered into the program.

The duration of NCS depends on a variety of factors including:
• Continued survivor eligibility
• Availability of hotel rooms, and
• Availability of other housing solutions.

The State of Hawai‘i, County of Maui, and FEMA have established a Joint Housing Task Force focused on developing housing solutions for survivors of wildfires. The Red Cross participates in the Task Force and is confident the Task Force will leave no stone unturned in the search for solutions.

As the Task Force moves forward with its vital work, the Red Cross will continue to collaborate with the state and county governments and FEMA to ensure that all survivors are treated with dignity and respect regardless of their eligibility for NCS..
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Contact:

Jim McIntyre
Public Affairs Manager
American Red Cross
216-213-4670

(This news release was issued by HI-EMA in conjunction with the American Red Cross and FEMA.)