Housing | Conditions
Do fire-impacted people live in permanent or temporary housing?
UHERO
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A year after the fires, half of survey respondents are still living in temporary housing. More than 10% do not have their own home at all (i.e. living with friends, family, or being unhoused). Housing instability is a risk factor for many negative health and life outcomes. It may weaken education, employment and physical and mental health. Meanwhile, 15% have moved into a permanent new home. Less than a quarter of respondents still live in the same house as before the fires.
What types of temporary housing do fire-impacted people live in?
UHERO
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About 1.5% of survey respondents report that they still live in a hotel. The largest share of displaced residents are living in other types of temporary housing and receive some form of assistance, either from FEMA, the State of Hawaii, or community organizations. Additionally, 18% are in temporary housing without assistance and 20% are staying with family and friends or are currently unhoused. This data shows that a year after the fires, there is a still significant gap in housing assistance.
Do fire-impacted people live in crowded conditions?
UHERO
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Many displaced residents are now living with family, friends, or in smaller accommodations than they had before the fire. As a result, many respondents now live in crowded conditions. Depending on the definition of crowding used, crowding may affect between 14 and 56% of fire-impacted people. Given larger and multigenerational households are more common in Hawaiʻi for both cultural and economic reasons, the 14% estimate based on the Canadian standard might be a more appropriate crowding measure in the Hawaiʻi context. However, this is still concerning, especially since it is up from 10% before the wildfires. Crowding is linked to health issues, such as the spread of infectious diseases and mental health problems. It has also been shown that crowding risks lower educational outcomes for children.