A running monthly survey of people affected by Maui’s wildfire disaster nearly two years ago suggests that some market rental housing rates have begun to come down after spikes tied to emergency needs.

The most recent results from the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization surveys from April to June also show that more than half of fire-affected households now live in permanent housing, which UHERO called a “significant milestone” in a report released for publication today.

“There has been important progress in transitioning from more temporary to more permanent housing for fire survivors,” Daniela Bond-Smith, a report author and UHERO research economist, said Monday in an interview.

Among those still living in temporary housing, nearly 50% have been in the same place for m

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