The National Council of State Housing Agencies recognized the Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC) with “The Award of Excellence for Special Achievement” at its annual meeting in Phoenix in October. The award acknowledges outstanding responses to important community needs while cutting across “traditional program lines.” HHFDC’s efforts to quickly mobilize and house displaced Maui residents in the wake of the August 2023 Maui wildfires earned HHFDC this honor.
After wildfires devastated Lāhaina and parts of upcountry Maui, HHFDC called on Hawaiʻi homeowners to open their vacant homes, spare rooms and beds to wildfire survivors. As a result of the program, approximately 600 families were able to be sheltered immediately, while a pool of approximately 1,400 homes on Maui and the neighbor islands became available. Gov. Josh Green requested the program to expedite assistance for people who had lost homes and loved ones, and had their lives upended.
HHFDC relied on modern technologies and partnerships with agencies such as the state’s ARC GIS Office to build and maintain a searchable database so people could easily be matched to appropriate shelter options based on their location, needs and circumstances. HHFDC staff stepped up to the unprecedented challenge, with many working after hours and weekends to respond to survivors’ needs, verify information and coordinate actions with other groups.
“I’m extremely proud of the effort that our staff put into this program,” HHFDC Executive Director Dean Minakami said. “Our agency’s core mission is to provide assistance to those in need of housing and this program put on full display our dedication to fulfill this mission. With no additional personnel or other resources — and without a playbook to use as a guide — our staff responded to the call to assist those whose homes and whole neighborhoods were destroyed.”
The criteria jurors for the award relied on included innovation, success and the benefit-to-cost ratio in execution. Eighteen programs were entered into the Special Achievement category alongside HHFDC, who received praise for the quick response, coordination and leadership, among other factors.
