3 years after Maui wildfires: Employment, housing improve while mental health remains a concern, report finds

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The latest findings from the ongoing Maui Wildfire Exposure Study found that recovery from the August 2023 blaze “is underway, but it remains uneven,” as both adults and children who survived the fire show signs of the physical and mental health toll left by one of the worst disasters in the state’s history.

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Researchers found promising signs in the third year of recovery. Employment among returning adults increased from 62% in the first year of the study to 81% in the second year as people return to their old jobs or find new ones. Participants living in temporary housing declined from 41% to 34%, and those who felt secure in their housing increased from 72% to nearly 80%. Health insurance coverage also rose from 85% to 91%.

But food security decreased, going from 50% to 45% of returning adults affected by the fire. High social support declined from 62% to 54%, which the report said suggested “growing recovery fatigue and strain on families and community networks.”

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The researchers said the recovery needs four interconnected foundations: housing security, food and income security, access to care and social support. All of these “are health interventions,” said Juarez, who is also the UH Economic Research Organization-Hawai‘i Medical Service Association distinguished professor of health economics.

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Funding is also going toward infrastructure and public facilities, public services, economic revitalizations and disaster mitigation.