The program provides renters and homeowners with monthly rent or mortgage, as well as HOA dues, financial counseling or loan modifications. Funded by a portion of the Federal CARES Act, the program is administered by nonprofit partners Catholic Charities Hawaii and Aloha United Way.
FOR ELIGIBLE RENTERS
· Monthly rent payments of up to $2,000 per household residing in the City and County of Honolulu, or $1,500 per household residing in the Counties of Hawaii, Maui or Kauai.
· Any applicable financial counseling and assistance with rent payment plans or rent negotiation.
FOR ELIGIBLE HOMEOWNERS
· Monthly mortgage payments of up to $2,000 per household residing in the City and County of Honolulu, or $1,500 per household residing in the Counties of Hawaii, Maui or Kauai.
· HOA dues, financial counseling and assistance with payment plans or loan modifications.
PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY
You can apply for the State of Hawaii Rent Relief and Housing Assistance Program if you:
· Are a full-time Hawaii resident.
· Have proof of valid and current tenancy or ownership for a primary residence in the state of Hawaii.
· Are 18 years of age or older.
· Can demonstrate a loss of income directly resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
· Can demonstrate that your current household income does not exceed 100% Area Median Income, as defined by Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) 2020 Income Limits. (See income table from the link below)
· Are not in HPHA public housing or Section 8 program.
PROGRAM DETAILS
What types of rental properties are eligible for assistance? Properties with proof of valid and current tenancy are eligible.
Do I qualify if I currently reside in government-funded housing? Households that receive federal or state rent subsidies (where a percentage of the rent is paid by the household and the balance is subsidized by government) are not eligible.
How do I establish my household’s eligibility for this program? Eligibility includes being a full-time Hawaii resident occupying a primary residence with current and valid tenancy in the State of Hawaii; being 18 years of age or older; demonstrating a loss of income due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and having a total household income that does not exceed 100% of the HUD Area Median Income limits for 2020.
What income is included when determining my household income? All income from all household members is included.
Do I qualify if I received or am receiving housing relief assistance through another program? Households may qualify for housing relief assistance even if they receive assistance from another source, provided the total amount of assistance does not exceed the actual rent or mortgage. However, households that receive rent assistance under the HUD Emergency Solutions Grant program are ineligible for the State’s Rent Relief Program.
If I received unemployment benefits, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, or Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, does that count towards my income for this program? Yes. However, SNAP (food stamps) is not included as income.
Do I need to claim eligible immigration status to apply for this program? No.
My household is a mixed-immigration status household. I do not claim eligible immigration status, but my child does. Can we still apply? Yes.
Can I apply if I live with roommates? You and your roommates may apply for assistance as a household. If one or more household members (roommates) are eligible for assistance, but all members on the lease do not apply or are ineligible for assistance, the rental assistance will be prorated.
What if I’m ineligible but am at risk of losing my tenancy for other reasons? Please go to Get Resources for additional resources.
If I don’t have a lease but am a month-to-month tenant am I still eligible to receive assistance? Yes, if your lease has expired but you continue to occupy your rental on a month-to-month basis, this is considered a valid and current tenancy.
GET THE FAQs
Rent Relief and Housing Assistance Program Details
· Program is statewide and covers residents and households across Hawaii.
· Payments can be made in lump sum amounts for up to three months at a time, for payments due from August 1 through December 28, 2020.
· Payments can also be made in lump sum amounts for back payments due from March 1 through July 31, 2020.
Rent Payments
· Eligible Hawaii renters will receive assistance with monthly rent payments of up to $2,000 per household residing in the City and County of Honolulu, or $1,500 per household residing in the Counties of Hawaii, Maui or Kauai.
· Rent payments will not exceed the actual rent owed and will be made directly to the landlord.
· Households that receive federal or state rent subsidies (where a percentage of the rent is paid by the household and the balance is subsidized by government) are not eligible.
· Residents must have valid and current tenancy. This may include month-to-month tenancy and valid lease agreements between family members.
Mortgage Payments
· Eligible Hawaii homeowners will receive assistance with monthly mortgage payments of up to $2,000 per household residing in the City and County of Honolulu, or $1,500 per household residing in the Counties of Hawaii, Maui or Kauai.
· Mortgage payments will not exceed the actual mortgage owed and will be made directly to the financial institution.
· Households that receive federal or state subsidies (where a percentage is paid by the household and the balance is subsidized by government) are not eligible.
Please apply either at Catholic Charities Hawaii or Aloha United Way.
Please see the link below.
The documents you need to prepare;
Important-- Please do NOT start this application unless you have ALL of these documents: - Picture ID for Head of Household - Social Security cards for all adults - All members of the household currently receiving income (2 most current paystubs from application date, Social Security, SSI, TDI, pension, interest, disability, welfare/TANF, unemployment, PUA, etc.) - Documentation of income loss due to COVID (Letter of layoff/furlough/reduced hours, company closure sign, etc) - Lease/Rental Agreement for rent assistance - Mortgage statement + delinquency notice + trial or temporary loan modication offer letter for mortgage assistance - HOA statement + delinquency notice + trial or temporary loan modication offer letter for HOA assistance **Note that you CANNOT SAVE and continue later. Please do not close your browser window until you nish and click SUBMIT.