County encourages Ho'okumu Hou applicants to get official information

The County of Maui Office of Recovery is encouraging residents to find official information on Hoʻokumu Hou housing programs directly through the County due to potential fraud by third-party entities.

Hoʻokumu Hou, which is receiving a high volume of applications, offers Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding to individuals and families who meet eligibility criteria, including income limits and loss of property during the 2023 Maui wildfires.

Some third-party entities, including real estate industry representatives, are allegedly falsely claiming they can prequalify clients for the Homebuyer Opportunity Program, the County Office of Recovery said. If applicants suspect they have been targets of fraud, the County asks that they report the incidents to program staff.

The only way to apply for Ho'okumu Hou programs is directly through the County process. The County urges community members to check that the information they receive is accurate, official program information from the County of Maui and Hoʻokumu Hou program staff. Residents are encouraged to visit hookumuhou.mauicounty.gov or visit the resource centers in Kahului and Lahaina to speak with program specialists.

The Hoʻokumu Hou Program has seen tremendous interest from Maui residents since the County Office of Recovery began accepting applications Aug. 11, 2025.

Since applications opened, an average of 80 applications have been submitted each day. As of August 26, 2025, Hoʻokumu Hou program specialists are processing approximately 1,400 applications across the first three Hoʻokumu Hou programs, all of which focus on housing.

For more information about CDBG-DR and the Hoʻokumu Hou programs, visit: www.hookumuhou.mauirecovers.org.

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