[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 17, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H154]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1215
                        MAUI COUNTY HOUSING PLAN

  (Ms. TOKUDA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. TOKUDA. Mr. Speaker, for so many of our Maui `` 'ohana,'' 
``family,'' stable housing for their families and the ability to manage 
mortgages for lost homes keep them up at night.
  Earlier this month, the State of Hawaii, Maui County, FEMA, and 
various philanthropic organizations announced a $500 million interim 
housing plan to move thousands of families still living in hotels into 
stable, long-term housing by July 1 of this year. $250 million of this 
critical funding is coming directly from FEMA.
  Of all the ways that this plan will seek to provide some stability 
for ``keikis,'' ``children,'' and ``kupuna,'' ``elders,'' who lost 
everything, the most critical and urgent are the investments that will 
be made in more permanent developments.
  We need shovels in the ground now, and I strongly encourage FEMA to 
lean into their plans to build modular homes that will house up to 500 
households.
  In talking with constituents and Maui Mayor Bissen, we must also 
focus immediately on identifying options to help survivors with their 
mortgages. Absent options, our people will feel they have no choice but 
to leave Lahaina. As I have said before, Lahaina is not Lahaina without 
her people.

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