Office of the Governor — News Release — Governor, Mayor And State Officials Coordinate Housing For Residents Displaced By Kona Low Storms

STATE OF HAWAIʻI
KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

JOSH GREEN, M.D.
GOVERNOR
KE KIAʻĀINA

GOVERNOR, MAYOR AND STATE OFFICIALS COORDINATE HOUSING FOR RESIDENTS DISPLACED BY KONA LOW STORMS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 27, 2026

HONOLULU - Governor Josh Green, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi and North Shore area lawmakers announced today that the state of Hawaiʻi and the City and County of Honolulu are working together to provide temporary housing options for residents whose homes were left uninhabitable following the recent Kona Low storm systems.

The back-to-back storms caused significant damage in parts of Wahiawā, Waialua, Haleʻiwa and surrounding North Shore communities, leaving several households unable to safely return to their homes. To ensure families have a safe place to stay while cleanup and repairs are underway, the state has secured 80 rooms through April 30, 2026 at the Inn at Schofield, which is pet friendly (563 Kolekole Ave., Wahiawā). Participants must provide information to pass a background check, as the location is on base.

The city is making available more than 50 additional units of housing and more details will be announced early next week.

"After the recent Kona Low storms, our priority is making sure families who lost the use of their homes have a safe place to stay," said Governor Green. "We appreciate the close coordination with the city and North Shore lawmakers to quickly secure housing options and stabilize these households while recovery continues."

Mayor Blangiardi said the city continues to assess damage while working with the state to connect displaced residents with available housing.

"These storms have had a real and lasting impact on several of our communities and our priority right now is making sure families who can no longer live in their homes are not left to face this alone," said Mayor Rick Blangiardi. "We are moving with urgency, alongside our partners at the state and our area lawmakers, to get people into safe, temporary housing and connect them with the support they need. This is about showing up for our residents in a meaningful way and helping them begin the process of recovery."

Representative Sean Quinlan said the state will utilize emergency resources to ensure affected residents have a place to stay.

"The state will use the Major Disaster Fund to cover the cost of hotel stays for residents whose homes were made uninhabitable by the recent storms," said Representative Quinlan. "These placements are intended for households that cannot safely remain in their homes and need temporary lodging while cleaning and repairs are completed."

State officials also confirmed that additional temporary housing is being made available on other islands. Residents on neighbor islands whose homes suffered severe damage and are temporarily uninhabitable may be placed in available short-term rentals if they need housing assistance. The state is working on options to utilize Hale o Laʻiē and other accommodations. More information will be available shortly.

To conserve emergency resources, temporary housing assistance will be limited to residents whose primary residence is currently unsafe or uninhabitable due to storm damage and who need a place to stay while repairs are being made.

Residents who meet this criteria are encouraged to call Aloha United Way at 211 and indicate the required housing assistance due to the Kona Low disaster, at which point they will be referred to the appropriate resource. Residents may also register for assistance online at ready.hawaii.gov.

Officials will continue damage assessments statewide and additional housing assistance will be provided as needed.

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