On Thursday, October 21, the County of Hawai‘i’s Disaster Recovery Division will host a public information meeting regarding an Environmental Assessment (EA) that is being conducted for the Voluntary Housing Buyout Program (VHBP). at 5 p.m. via zoom. To join the zoom meeting, visit https://bit.ly/kilauearecovery.

The EA will assess any potential impacts of the VHBP to natural habitats, protected species, and cultural and historical resources. The review is required since the VHBP will be spending Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery program.

The VHBP is supporting housing recovery and hazard mitigation following the 2018 Kīlauea eruption. After the County purchases eligible properties, the land will be managed as open space with any existing structures removed