Maui County is lining up a combined $40 million for two new wildfire-recovery grant programs aimed at the less flashy, absolutely essential parts of rebuilding: helping residents find work and keeping critical services running. The money will flow to qualified organizations rather than directly to households, with workforce training and community support at the center of the next phase.
According to Maui Now, the County Office of Recovery will hold a virtual applicant information session next Thursday from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Hawaii time. Notices of funding availability are scheduled for the following Monday, applicants can submit questions through Aug. 25, and completed applications are due Sept. 24.
One Program Targets Jobs, The Other Daily Stability
The Ho‘okumu Hou Public Services Program carries a $25 million allocation for new or expanded services serving disaster-impacted and low- to moderate-income communities. The county says eligible work can include health and wellness programs, behavioral health care, disaster case management, childcare, transportation access and outreach for people experiencing homelessness, with funding available for operations, staffing and expanded service routes.
The separate Economic Revitalization Ka ʻImi ʻIke Program has $15 million available for workforce development. As outlined on the county’s Economic Revitalization page, the program is designed to support job training, placement and retention, with an emphasis on skilled trades, construction, hazard mitigation, healthcare, emergency response and other recovery-related work.
Applicants Face A Tight Recovery Calendar
This is not meant to be a general-purpose grant grab bag. The workforce policy says funded activities must respond to documented disaster-recovery needs and primarily benefit low- and moderate-income residents, while prioritizing people and communities most directly affected by the August 2023 fires.
The county’s workforce program policy also lays out a fairly hands-on delivery model, including participant eligibility checks, individualized service planning, training, supportive services and outcome reporting. That means prospective grantees will need more than a worthy idea; they will need a plan that connects dollars to measurable employment or recovery results.
The two programs are funded through Maui County’s $1.639 billion Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery allocation from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The county’s approved recovery plan assigns $25 million to public services and $15 million to economic revitalization, while earlier Hoodline coverage of the federal grant documented the larger recovery effort behind the programs.
Policies Are Posted Before The Money Opens
The Ho‘okumu Hou document library lists the public services and economic revitalization policies as posted July 24, with the economic policy receiving a version update July 29. The timing gives nonprofits, agencies, schools and other eligible partners a chance to review the rules before the county opens the formal application window.
For organizations already operating job-training programs, case management, childcare, transportation, behavioral health or homelessness services, next Thursday’s briefing is the first major checkpoint. The county says a recording and presentation materials will be posted online afterward, giving applicants another chance to decode the paperwork before the deadline arrives.
