FEMA Application Deadline Approaching & FEMA Rental Program

#MauiRecovers: The deadline to register for FEMA Assistance or apply with the SBA for physical damage is Monday December 11, 2023 at the closing time of the Disaster Recovery Centers and online at 4pm Hawaii Time (10pm Eastern Time). The deadline to apply for economic injury is May 10, 2024. The December 11 deadline is an extension from November 9.

Applicants may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information and download applicationsat https://www.sba.gov/hawaii-wildfires. Applicants may also call the SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email [email protected] for more information on the SBA’s disaster assistance.

Owners of Short-Term Rental Properties: Rental Properties Wanted 

FEMA is actively seeking owners of rental units suitable for families and individuals displaced by the Maui Wildfires. The units are offered to survivors for long-term leasing for up to 24 months.

FEMA has awarded contracts to three property management companies to help facilitate communication between property owners of rental units or homes and FEMA. Through FEMA’s Direct Lease program, you can help house a family in need and receive fair and stable compensation for doing so. 

FEMA’s Direct Lease program is different from FEMA Rental Assistance that is maxed at the 175% FMR and different from the Non-Congregate Sheltering (NCS) program managed by the American Red Cross.

How does FEMA’s Direct Lease program work?

FEMA leases existing, ready-to-occupy residential properties for use as temporary housing for families displaced by the fires. Eligible properties may include single-family homes, multi-family homes, apartments, cooperatives, condominiums, and townhouses. Property owners enter a contract with FEMA’s property management company, not the tenant(s).  

FEMA will:

· provide a security deposit

· write the contract 

· allow you to require background checks from tenants

· conduct home inspections before move-in and after move-out 

· honor your existing property policies (i.e. pets, occupancy, furnished/unfurnished, parking, etc.)

· pay all utility costs (including HOA fees)

· cover property damages

· ensure you maintain eviction rights, for cause, through the lease duration 

· not jeopardize your ability to return to the short-term rental market at the conclusion of the contract (long-term leases do not change a property’s county zoning) 

· assume responsibility for relocating tenants at the conclusion of the lease

Requirements  

· Companies/Owners must lease the vacant units exclusively to FEMA for use as temporary housing for eligible survivors for 12 months with the possibility of two additional six-month contract extensions, totaling 24 months. 

· Properties must be within 40 miles of Lahaina. 

· Each property must comply with Housing Quality Standards established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and all utilities, appliances and other furnishings must be functional. 

· Each individual unit must provide complete living facilities, including provisions for cooking, eating, and sanitation within the unit. 

· Property owner must be current with all mortgage payments, if applicable.

Contact [email protected] or (510) 499-6069 for more information. You will then be contacted by one of the property management companies below, on behalf of FEMA, to lease the unit.

Aesthetic Home Investments

Iesha Carmichael

[email protected]

(919) 352-6773

Lima Charlie Inc.

David Waldbauer

[email protected]

(209) 315-5464

Fedcology dba Parliament

David Greenberg

[email protected]

(305) 814-3170