The Aftermath of the 2023 Maui Wildfires Years Later

by Dr. Arcelita Imasa

Are the needs of Filipino fire survivors in Lahaina being met in the aftermath of the 2023 Maui wildfires?
– Reader

Dear Reader,

Almost two full years after the wildfires devastated Lahaina in August 2023, many Lahaina Filipinos are struggling to make ends meet and continue living in Lahaina.

Starting life from the ashes has not been easy for immigrants and migrants like the Filipino community. Navigating disaster recovery has been a challenge for many.

Over 40% of Lahaina’s pre-fire population identifies as Filipino, yet many Filipinos have been left behind in Lahaina’s ongoing wildfire recovery due to a lack of language access and affordable housing.

Many Lahaina Filipinos lived in multi-generational setups or informal rentals, causing complications in acquiring housing assistance through programs like FEMA.

As an organization focused on building collective power in directly impacted communities, the Hawaiʻi Workers Center conducted one-on-one conversations with Lahaina Filipino fire survivors to identify the most pressing challenges facing the community and build collective power around fighting them.

Overwhelmingly, Lahaina Filipino fire survivors identified housing as their main concern in realizing a just and equitable wildfire recovery.

Survivors expressed that the combination of a lack of available rental units and high rental costs has made it difficult to stay in Lahaina.

Many survivors have moved to other areas of Maui, off-island to other islands in Hawaiʻi, or back home to the Philippines as a result of the scarcity.

With these priorities in mind, Lahaina Filipino fire survivors have united to fight for rental assistance, affordable and long-term housing, community-led decisions, and survivor representation in recovery planning through the Lahaina Filipino Fire Survivors Association.

As Maui prepares to implement its Community Development Block Grants Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds, the LFFSA sees these as the best policies to address the most crucial needs of Lahaina’s Filipino fire survivors, and all survivors.

On May 27, 2025, Lahaina Filipino fire survivors and community members gathered to celebrate the official launch of LFFSA at the Maui County Office of Recovery.

LFFSA, an initiative of the Hawaiʻi Workers Center, is a formalized grassroots organization for these directly impacted worker leaders to work together, unite, and find ways to recover from the disaster.

The launch highlighted the ongoing needs of Filipinos in Lahaina, and fire survivors expressed fear about what comes next after the FEMA assistance ends in February 2026.

Dominguilio Tupinio Jr., a worker at the Lahaina Royal Hotel, shared about how the lack of affordable housing on Maui underscores the need for rental assistance and urged the government to take action.

He shared:

“Thirty to 40% of our combined income goes to rent. If we pay all our bills, like mortgage for car, bank loan, insurance, car, life, medical & dental, and tuition fees for my daughter, it will not be enough. And what about those we are supporting back [in the Philippines] that we were supporting regularly before the fire?”

The LFFSA members encourage all those impacted by the fires to come together to share their experiences rather than to just struggle on their own silently.

The association will continue to advocate to provide all fire survivors, both renters and homeowners, with clear and transparent information about recovery programs and assistance.

To learn more about the full list of just and equitable recovery demands from the Lahaina Filipino Fire Survivors Association (LFFSA), visit bit.ly/lffsa-petition.

For any questions about LFFSA or if you are a Lahaina fire survivor, email hiworkerscenter@gmail.com or call (808) 743-1031.

Sincerely,
Hawai’i Workers Center