Who benefits from CDBG-DR funding?
CDBG-DR funds primarily benefit LMI (Low-To-Moderate Income) persons and communities, and other vulnerable members of the community who have been directly impacted by the disaster.
What is the household income limit to be considered LMI (Low-To-Moderate Income)?
LMI (Low-To-Moderate Income) is considered to be 80% of an area’s median household income. For Maui County in 2024, the median income as determined by HUD was $110,800.
Who is considered ''vulnerable''?
HUD identifies and prioritizes assistance for vulnerable populations that are disproportionately affected by disasters.
Broad Categories of Vulnerable Populations for CDBG-DR include:
Low- and moderate-income (LMI) persons or households
Kupuna
People experiencing homelessness
People with disabilities (includes people with physical, mental, or developmental disabilities)
If your household income exceeds the LMI limit you may not be eligible for the direct benefits provided by CDBG-DR funding. However, there could still be indirect benefits, such as improved infrastructure, community-wide recovery efforts, and other resources that support the overall resilience of the County. Additionally, the County may offer other programs or resources through different funding sources that may be more applicable to households above the LMI limit.
What are the federal requirements for reporting CDBG-DR disbursements, if any? How can the public access that information?
The County of Maui, Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Program Office is in the early stages of developing and will maintain a website in accordance with HUD requirements for CDBG-DR. Visit www.MauiRecovers.org/cdbgdr.
The website will serve as a central source for CDBG-DR information and is intended to provide transparency into the recovery activities using these funds. The details on each recovery program with links to all action plans, citizen participation requirements, performance reports, contracts, program availability, requirements and quarterly progress reports will be available on this website.
What is the Action Plan? Does the community get any say in it?
The CDBG-DR Action Plan outlines activities that the County will undertake under its recovery or mitigation program. Detailed funding amounts, sources of other funds, and implementation partners are included. Community input collected through the many community engagement events held by the County since the wildfires – including those that informed the County’s Long-Term Recovery Plan for Lahaina – have been incorporated into the draft, which was released and open for public review/feedback on Feb. 24, 2025. Public hearings on the draft Action Plan will be held on March 8, 11, and 14. The public comment period closes on March 26, 2025.
What can I do now in preparation for the CDBG-DR programs?
Programs will be finalized once the proposed Action Plan is approved by HUD. If you are considering applying for CDBG-DR-funded programs that you may be eligible for, you can do the following things to prepare:
Collect financial documents (proof of income, bank statements, tax returns, etc.)
Keep records of all financial assistance received (FEMA, Rental Assistance Payments, CNHA, etc.) Keep records of insurance claims filed and proceeds received
Stay informed via community meetings and MauiRecovers.org
Can any of the CDBG-DR funds be directly distributed to individual survivors?
CDBG-DR funds are required to be used for programs that directly benefit individual survivors, such as rebuild assistance for eligible homeowners, and cannot be directly distributed to survivors.
Is there a deadline to use the CDBG-DR funds?
Grantees generally have up to six years to spend CDBG-DR funds, however any specific requirements would be detailed in the Federal Register Notice.
Will the community have any input on how the CDBG-DR funds will be used?
Community participation is both encouraged and required throughout the CDBG-DR grant process. The County’s Action Plan must include a Citizen Participation Plan which describes how the public will be informed and engaged throughout the grant’s lifecycle.
Prior to approval by HUD, the CDBG-DR Action Plan will be posted for public comment to provide opportunities to community members, affected local governments and other interested parties an opportunity to provide comments. All comments on the Action Plan or any substantial amendment, received orally or in writing, will be considered. The approved Action Plan and any amendments will be displayed on the County’s CDBG-DR website.