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Lahaina Homeowner Recovery Program

Transitioning families from interim housing to permanent housing

Hawai‘i Community Lending (HCL) has been called on to expand our services under the Lahaina Homeowner Recovery Program to provide vital assistance to up to 500 owner-occupant Lahaina homeowners, helping them prevent foreclosure and qualify for financing to rebuild their homes.

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FAQ
Hawai‘i Community Lending Stop Foreclosure

Homeowner Recovery Toolkit

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No-Cost Property Survey

Enroll for a no-cost property survey

Funds still available for Lahaina, Kula homeowners to get a survey and move toward rebuilding

Lahaina and Kula homeowners: we’re making progress! Since the Maui Strong Fund of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation launched the No-Cost Property Survey program last year, 90 surveys have already been completed, with more scheduled to wrap up by September 2025.

A completed property survey is required to begin the rebuilding process–but this is one expense that homeowners do not need to shoulder. Funds for surveys are still available for homes in Lahaina and Kula that were owner-occupied before the August 8, 2023, wildfires. This no-cost program is the first of its kind in the nation and may serve as a model for other disaster-affected communities.

HCL’s navigation specialists help guide you through the entire rebuilding process—from survey to permits to moving home. 

Enroll in Lahaina Homeowner Assistance Program to start your journey today.

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Leiali‘i resiliency Center, Lahaina Maui

More about the Lahaina Homeowner Recovery Program

The LHRP was set up to help with:
• FEMA appeals
• forbearance and loan modifications on existing mortgages
• insurance claim(s)
• the probate process
• a plan to rebuild or sell your property
• assistance and resources to rebuild your home
• understanding the rebuild process
• no-cost property survey
• construction and mortgage financing from HCL and our partner lenders

HCL was created by native Hawaiians on Maui who were unable to qualify for a Hawaiian Home Lands lease. HCL started its work in 2002 in the Paukukalo homestead to help native Hawaiians obtain mortgages to receive their lease and get on the land.

We expanded from our Maui roots to serve native Hawaiians across the state. In 2007, HCL assisted Leiali‘i homestead families in Lahaina obtain mortgages. 16 years later, when the August 8th fires struck, our team moved quickly to launch the Kanaka Anti-Displacement Fund to bring services to the 104 impacted Leiali‘i families, committing ourselves to help them prevent displacement and rebuild.

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Homeowner Recovery Toolkit

We know the road to recovery is complicated and stressful. It starts with getting your family on a stable foundation.

We encourage you to use the resources below to stay on the path to rebuilding.

Hawai‘i Community Lending Stop Foreclosure

Step 1: Stop Foreclosure

Mortgage Forbearance

If you have a mortgage, use this Mortgage Forbearance Request Letter to stop foreclosure.

STOP FORECLOSURE
File an insurance claim

Step 2: File a Homeowner Insurance Claim

If you have not filed an insurance claim, work with United PolicyHolders.

FILE INSURANCE CLAIM

Work with a public insurance adjuster to assist you with your insurance claim. Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Public Insurance Adjuster [PDF]

PDF
Receive FEMA or SBA money

Step 3 Get Your FEMA and SBA Money

Have you been denied by FEMA or SBA? You are not alone. 72% of homeowners we work with were denied. Apply to start working with a Hawai‘i Community Lending Navigation Specialist to file appeals to FEMA and SBA for the money you deserve.

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Hawai‘i Community Lending Reduce Payments

Step 4: Reduce Your Monthly Bills

Work with Hawaiian Community Assets to call your creditors to pause or reduce your monthly credit card and loan payments.

Contact HCA
File an insurance claim

Step 5: Apply for Homeowner Assistance Fund

Did you lose income as a result of COVID? You may be eligible for Grants for Past Due Mortgage, Property Taxes, HOA Fees, Utilities

Apply
File an insurance claim

Step 6: Arrange for a no-cost property survey

 Enroll in the Lahaina Homeowner Recovery Program to receive a property survey at no cost through the Lahaina Homeowner Recovery Program, funded by the Maui Strong Fund of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation.

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Need more resources

Need More Resources?​

If your are a homeowner who lived in Lahaina prior to the fire, apply to the Lahaina Homeowner Recovery Program today!

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A BIG MAHALO TO ALL WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO LAHAINA HOMEOWNERS!

Hawai‘i Community Foundation – $15,500,000
County of Maui – $7,500,000
First Hawaiian Bank – $1,000,000
American Savings Bank – $400,000
Bank of Hawai‘i – $400,000
Central Pacific Bank – $100,000
HomeStreet Bank – $100,000
Holomua Collective – $50,000
Finance Factors Ltd – $40,000
Hawai‘i National Bank – $40,000

Mahalo Sponsors

Hawai‘i Community Foundation
Lahaina Recovery with Hawai‘i Community Lending
Hawaii National Bank
County of Maui
Lahaina Recovery with Hawai‘i Community Lending
Holomua Collective
Lahaina Recovery with Hawai‘i Community Lending

Maui Outreach Offices

As we grieve the devastation to our Maui community, we are 100% committed to the recovery effort.

Our long-term goal is to assist those impacted on Maui to rebuild their homes. We are here to support residents throughout this journey, providing guidance, resources, and assistance every step of the way.

We are working to provide essential information and services to those in need. In addition to immediate relief efforts, we are actively setting up a comprehensive ‘toolkit’ filled with resources to aid you on your path to recovery.

Our team is on-site in Lahaina to respond to your needs and help you recover from the fire destruction.

Leali‘i Recovery Center Maui Lahaina

Lahaina Office

Stationed near the Lahaina Civic Center and the Leiali‘i subdivision
Mon., Wed. and Thurs. 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. walk-ins welcome
Fri. - Sun. by appointment.

Contact Us

(808) 587-7656 (Call or Text)

Our Pledge to Maui ‘Ohana

  • Preventing foreclosure and securing land access.
  • Financial aid for disaster survivors.
  • Kānakā Anti-Displacement Fund to protect native Hawaiians.
  • Dedicated team working to make rebuilding easier.

Join us on the journey to rebuild and restore Maui’s strength. We’re here for you every step of the way.

About Chanel Josiah

Chanel was born and raised on Oʻahu and now resides on Kaua’i with her husband and seven children. As a 5th-generation Hawaiian Home Lands lessee and homeowner, she has firsthand knowledge of the challenges families face in accessing housing, financial opportunities and resources both on and off homesteads. Her lived experiences and professional expertise inspire her passion for supporting others and strengthen her commitment to helping local and native Hawaiian families secure and sustain homes on their ancestral ‘āina, building lasting stability for themselves and generations to come.

Chanel also serves as the Board President of Pa‘a Lima, a nonprofit organization that offers support services and education to address houselessness, mental health challenges, financial literacy, and income instability. The organization is committed to breaking generational cycles and changing lives, with a special emphasis on supporting youth aging out of foster care.

As Operations Director, Chanel oversees marketing, community engagement, technical assistance, and operations. A key aspect of her role is connecting directly with communities to understand their needs and challenges. Drawing on her personal and professional experiences, Chanel approaches these challenges holistically, blending diverse perspectives to create innovative strategies that drive meaningful and lasting change for the communities she serves. “I’m grateful to be able to share our organization’s moʻomeheu (culture), moʻolelo (story) and kaunu (passion) with communities across Hawaiʻi, partners and investors who believe in the work we do.”

Chanel is inspired by her keiki, motivating her dedication to ensuring they can build their futures here in Hawai’i. She is also inspired by her tūtū kāne, Robert William Kalanihiapo Wilcox. “He was a fearless kānaka ‘ōiwi champion who encompassed the spirit of aloha ‘āina – the love of his land, and home just as we do now.” Outside of work, Chanel enjoys reading, practicing hula, and spending time at the beach with her ʻohana.

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About Aikū’ē Kalima

Aikū’ē Kalima, former Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan Fund Manager for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, joins Hawaiʻi Community Lending as its lending director.
Kalima comes to HCL with more than 25 years of experience in community development and mortgage lending. In his new position, Kalima will direct HCL’s consumer, construction, mortgage and small business lending.
“As a native Hawaiian and Hawaiian Home Lands beneficiary, I understand the financial needs for economic development and quality housing for kānaka is great,” said Kalima, who led OHA’s deployment of $9.8 million in loans to 286 native Hawaiians statewide over the last five years. “For over 25 years, I have worked tirelessly at the grassroots level, educating kānaka on the skills necessary to achieve the dream of homeownership and providing resources to achieve financial sustainability. I plan to continue serving the lāhui empowering ‘ohana and communities as the lending director for Hawai‘i Community Lending.”
Kalima takes the reins of HCL’s $16-million revolving loan fund and will oversee a team of seven staff members statewide. “HCL is honored to have Aikū’ē join us in our mission to help tackle our housing crisis by funding native Hawaiian and local families to build, buy and save homes from foreclosure,” said HCL Executive Director Jeff Gilbreath. “He has proven leadership in both the public and private sectors and has the passion to get families on the land through homeownership.”

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About Sean

Sean Perez loves hearing about the great things Hawai‘i Community Lending is doing for the Hawaiian community. And now as HCL’s new director of finance, he is excited to be part of the team making it happen.

“I enjoy hearing the success stories of new homes that we will soon be building and finding for these families,” he says. “HCL’s mission resonates well with me and my passion to help others and assist our community.”

To this end, Sean will manage HCL’s finances, accounting, compliance, and information technology matters; working with HCL Executive Director Jeff Gilbreath and supervising three division managers. He comes to HCL with over eight years of experience in financial management in the nonprofit and private, for-profit sectors having worked in the legal, social service, health, and telecommunications industries as well as with the US Attorney’s Office of Guam and CNMI. In his previous job as director of operations for the Hawai‘i State Bar Association where he was responsible for directing the organization’s finances, Sean grew his experience in nonprofit financial management and gained extensive background in accounting, grants management, IT and human resources. These skills, in conjunction with his drive to work with the Hawai‘i community through nonprofit assistance, led Sean to HCL.

Currently living in Honolulu, Sean was born in Tamuning, Guam. When he was 10 years old, he moved to Oxnard, Calif., where he attended school and eventually community college. The Air Force Reserves beckoned him after graduation, leading him to serve three and a half years as an aircrew flight equipment technician at March Air Reserve Base. After his military service, Sean returned to his childhood home of Guam, where he went to college to obtain a degree in finance and economics, and then to pursue an MBA.

On O‘ahu, Sean enjoys family life with his fiancée and toddler son; fishing and surfing in his time off. “I look forward to accomplishing great things with HCL and creating new success stories,” he says.

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About Nikki

Nikki Hollern is a mother of five, born and raised in Upcountry Maui, but she spent the last 15 years in the beautiful town of Lahaina. Lahaina stole her heart, with the people and the town being unlike any other. After the fire, her family had to relocate to Kahului.

Her heart remains in Lahaina, and her goal is to help this amazing community get back to where they belong. She feels blessed to have the opportunity to be part of the HCL ‘ohana, helping navigate this incredibly hard time and hopefully serving as a guiding light to assist the community in returning home and coming back even stronger.

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