The impact of the August 2023 Maui wildfires continues to resonate as a new study has found the number of households living below the poverty line has more than doubled since devastation occurred.
The University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization (UHERO) compiled the study data in August from 402 individuals representing 374 households. UHERO determined that fire-impacted households in Maui typically pay 43% more rent for the same or fewer bedrooms, while 80% of West Maui residents from the study were displaced from their homes and almost half had to leave West Maui. More than one-third of those who worked or owned businesses in West Maui or Kula but lived elsewhere were displaced from their homes following the disaster.
The study also found 29% of fire-affected households now live below the poverty line, compared to 14% before the fires and 9% for Maui County in 2023. Also, nearly one in five survey participants have seen their income drop by more than half. And while roughly 70% of the survey participants who were employed in the tourism industry before the fires still have jobs in the sector, less than half kept their full-time employment in the tourism industry.
The UHERO survey also determined more than 45% of respondents require financial support, more than 30% need housing assistance, and more than 20% lack adequate food.
“There’s a lack of timely data on how fire-impacted individuals are coping,” said UHERO Executive Director Carl Bonham. “Without this information, it’s hard to fully grasp the true pace of recovery or identify unmet needs. This is why we launched the survey.”
Photo courtesy U.S. Department of Homeland Security
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Yea $700 from the govt. doesn’t go very far. Wonder what poverty stats will be for those in NC? What will the employment possibilities be in a 15 minute city?