09-04-2025
$170 Million Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund hopes to help associations with insurance shortfalls by June 1
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Officials are now meeting weekly to try and get the Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund up and running to try and get help to condo owners this summer. The state's insurance commissioner says there is some positive news about the market.
'We've been working very expeditiously to get a policy put in place soon,' said Jerry Bump, acting state insurance commissioner. 'Right now, the target date is June 1. There's still a lot that has to be done to be able to reach that target date.'
Crummy conditions plague Oahu park, garden
The $170 million dollar Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund is being re-started to cover any insurance coverage shortfall for associations. The state's acting insurance commissioner says it still has to find an operator, and the board is still finalizing guidelines on who will get help first.
But he says the good news is that the insurance market seems to be softening.
'We would say that the peak of the market was last July, maybe through September,' Bump said. 'And then the renewals that were coming in in January and now April, we've seen significant drops, but not to the to the point where it was in 2023.'
Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news
However for single family homes, a new study says Hawaii is going to see one of the sharpest increases, percentage wise, estimated to go up by 17-percent.
'Hawaii is more than double the national average in terms of the expected increase homeowners are likely to see, and that's based on multiple factors,' said Matt Brannon, an Insurify data journalist.
Those factors include potential for natural disasters. And of course, because re-insurance rates or insurance for insurance companies has gone up since the Lahaina say shop around for the best rates. Ask your insurer if there are any discounts or incentives for upgrading your home, and consider bundling coverage.
'Beyond that, you could also consider raising your deductible,' Brannon said. 'So when you raise your deductible, it does typically mean lower monthly premiums. However, you will have to front more of the upfront cost.'
And hope for the best.
'Obviously we just we hope for a good, you know, hurricane season,' Bump said. 'We don't have any major disasters and hopefully that's also on a global basis.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
