Survey: Maui fire survivors cite urgent financial needs, housing instability as top concerns

Lina Portman3 weeks ago

0 2 minutes read

A new survey of Maui wildfire survivors conducted by the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement paints a picture of continued adversity on various fronts.

A total of 1,471 people responded to the survey as part of their application to participate in the Alaska Airlines Maui Care Flights program, according to a CNHA news release Thursday.

The current median annual income for families who responded to the survey is $36,000 to $41,999, a 25% reduction from pre-fire income. At least 51% of adults work in tourism and 74% work physically in West Maui. According to the data, some 62 percent of children attend West Maui schools while 4 percent are home-schooled. (Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2024)

They were asked to answer questions about their housing, their economic and professional situation as well as to identify their most urgent needs. The data produced key findings.

Three quarters of those surveyed live in temporary accommodation and the lack of stability is a major concern.

More than half of those in temporary accommodation have only been in their current accommodation for four months or less. Most want to stay on West Maui, about 72 percent.

Nearly 60% work full time. Median annual income has fallen by a quarter since the fire, from $48,000 to $54,000 to the current $36,000 to $42,000.

Some 46% of those surveyed said they needed urgent financial help. Shelter and food were the other two most desperately needed items.

Most survey respondents have lived on Maui for a decade or more. Less than 57% have a college diploma or technical certification.

About 18% of survey participants were in households headed by single parents with minor children. And 12% share a car or other means of transportation, a statistic that underscores the need to close housing and construction sites.

The majority of responses were collected at the end of May.

“This data provides transparency to the public and service providers regarding families' progress nearly 10 months after the fire,” said Kuhio Lewis, CNHA executive director. “While some progress has been made, it is clear that significant work remains to restore normalcy to Maui. Our goal is for this report to improve the effectiveness of agencies and individuals serving the Maui community.

Alaska Airlines donates 180 round-trip tickets each month to eligible fire survivor families to any destination it serves.

VSivil Beat's Maui County coverage is funded in part by a grant from the Nuestro Futuro Foundation.