The deadly firestorm in Lahaina destroyed about 2,200 structures, mostly homes, from single-family houses to multistory apartment buildings. This poses one of the most difficult problems facing the survivors and their families: finding a place to live.

Even before the fires, affordable housing already was painfully scarce. And the immediate relief available — congregate shelters, hotel rooms, doubling up with family, living in cars or tents — isn’t sustainable.

What’s needed is a more stable solution, normal residential accommodations where people can live while they rebuild their homes and lives — a process that could take a long time. Survivors who have lost everything will need sustained support from the government and, more significantly, from the greater community.

The good news: The community appears to be on board, at least for now.

Landlords and property managers on Maui, the other islands and the mainland have made available more than 900 rental properties for those who need them. They are listed on an online platform managed by the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp. (HHFDC) through the Hawaii Fire Relief Housing program. So far, about 80 households have found space in single-family homes, condominiums and other dwellings.

This gesture of good will needs to be encouraged, maintained and expanded. That’s likely to require more than a heartfelt thank you.

There’s no direct federal financing for this housing program; rental terms, including the cost and length of stay, are agreed to by the property owner and tenant. Presumably, those seeking homes may include large families, or those with pets, or disabilities, or other special needs. Tenants who’ve lost everything may have other ways to pay the rent, such as state and federal aid or insurance, but some will likely need continuing support. Most recently, the federal government said it will provide $1.3 million to help Maui’s homeless through its Rapid Unsheltered Survivor Housing program.

At a news conference in Wailuku on Aug. 16, Brad Kieserman, vice president of disaster operations for the American Red Cross, said that generous contributions have allowed the Red Cross to quadruple its financial assistance to those who lost their homes. But he warned that the road would be long.

“There were tornadoes in Arkansas and Mississippi in the spring,” Kieserman said. “There are still people, today, who are in non-congregate sheltering programs. There were people who were in fires in Oregon three years ago. They’re still in non-congregate sheltering programs. So the housing task force and the work we will all do to find housing solutions will be vital.”

Gov. Josh Green has encouraged property owners to charge minimal or no rent, but it’s hard to see how an owner can sustain that arrangement over time. Officials need to consider ways to help owner and tenant alike to keep the rentals affordable for the foreseeable future.

As of Monday, Maui County reported that only three people remained at one congregate shelter. More than 1,900 displaced people were living at six hotels. As time passes and survivors work through their recovery, those numbers will change, as will the demand for more stable housing. Sadly, some survivors may be unable or unwilling to remain on high-priced Maui, or even Hawaii. The cost of replacing an old family home or apartment building, where often people lived in crowded quarters to save money, could prove prohibitively expensive.

Nonetheless, there’s always hope, and some help. For more information on the Hawaii Fire Relief Housing program, visit dbedt.hawaii.gov/hhfdc. The online housing listings are updated twice daily.

If you don’t have internet access, a hot­line at 808-587-0469 can be used by landlords, property managers, homeowners or displaced residents to contact HHFDC staff for assistance or questions, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. Or you can send an email: hhfdcfirereliefhousing@hawaii.gov.