Press Conference Highlights Current Housing Issues Impacting Filipino Survivors Of The Lahaina Wildfires

In a February 29 press conference at Kelawea Mauka Makai Park, Hawaii Workers Center, Kaibigan ng Lahaina, Hawaii Community Lending and the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns held a press conference to tackle the pressing issues impacting the Filipino survivors of the Lahaina wildfires.

Survivors shared their issues ranging from lack of information regarding mortgage forbearance and FEMA appeals to the ongoing evictions despite the moratorium. The speakers highlighted the struggles of the working class families from Lahaina that are contemplating leaving Maui due to its current challenges.

“In our efforts, we have uncovered a distressing situation, particularly in the Filipino community, where tenants are being displaced to accommodate FEMAʻs fire survivors,” said Krizhna Bayudan, community organizer for the Hawaii Workers Center whose family survived the Lahaina wildfires.

“This is fundamentally unjust. It’s a mere shuffling of problems without addressing the root causes. We all know Lahaina is grappling with a severe housing shortage and it’s disheartening to see our fellow community members facing eviction… Language accessibility is a barrier, particularly within the Filipino community, often resulting in delays and deterring immigrant communities from seeking assistance.”

Another survivor of the Lahaina wildfires and Kaibigan ng Lahaina representative Sieny Corpuz said that it’s important for Filipinos to stay in Lahaina despite the challenges.

“Our Filipino community will be heart. We are committed to rebuilding Lahaina throughout our Filipino community. We envisions a Lahaina where Filipinos thrive socially, economically, politically, and culturally. Lahaina Filipinos need to remain in Lahaina. Filipinos, we are Lahaina,” said Corpuz.

Kami Yamamoto of National Alliance for Filipino Concerns seeks to bring these issues at a national level. “At the Filipino resource events, we spoke to several Filipino community members who were denied by FEMA and did not know they could even appeal their denials,” said Yamamoto.

Homeowners can contact Hawaii Community Lending at  www.hawaiicommunitylendings.com and the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii at www.legalaidhawaii.org for more information about mortgage forbearance, tenants’ rights, and FEMA denial appeals.