Rental Assistance Programs Now Available to Hawaii Residents

Hawai‘i Life Property Managers work at the forefront of a two-sided real estate marketplace comprised of homeowners and tenants. As unemployment rates continue to rise, we are seeing a growing demand for rental assistance across the state. We’d like to share some valuable resources available to renters in Hawai‘i. 

Aloha United Way and Catholic Charities Hawai’i have received a total of $50 million from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEBT) to provide rental assistance for those experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19. Aloha United Way services O‘ahu residents only, while Catholic Charities Hawai’i offers statewide assistance. Applicants are encouraged to apply for assistance with one agency at a time, but not both. See below for more details about each program. 

City & County of Honolulu Program (for O‘ahu residents)

Using $25 million from the CARES Act supplied through DBEBT, the City and County of Honolulu established the Household Hardship Relief Fund (HHRF) in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.  The HHRF will be distributed between two primary intermediary organizations — the Aloha United Way and the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, along with a number of support agencies (pictured below). The HHRF can assist Hawai‘i residents with rent and mortgage payments, some utility payments, HOA fees, licensed elder care services, and childcare.

Aloha United Way Requirements:

Applicant must:

• Be a resident of O‘ahu
• Be 18 years of age or older older
• Have less than $15,000 in liquid assets (cash, checking and/or savings accounts and other investment accounts)
• Be at or below 100% of Hawai‘i’s median income
• Have a current income that is LESS than their pre-Covid income
• Request up to $2,000/month, plus an additional $500/month for childcare
• Not duplicate their application for the same month with more than one organization (i.e. Aloha United Way and Catholic Charities Hawai‘i)
• Provide vendor/Property Manager contact information
• Include information for all adults in their household

Aloha United Way online applications for this program are available from August 7, 2020. For details, please review Aloha United Way’s Frequently Asked Questions. For more information about these programs, please contact or visit:

• Aloha United Way (2‑1‑1 or 808‑275‑2000)
• Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (808-596-8155)
• www.honolulu.gov/dcs or www.oneoahu.org

Rental Relief and Housing Assistance Program (for residents statewide)

This statewide program is administered by Catholic Charities Hawai’i and is expected to launch on August 17, 2020. Catholic Charities Hawai‘i are coordinating funds to qualifying individuals and families struggling to make ends meet as a result of COVID-19. Funds will provide financial assistance to at-risk individuals and families for housing costs such as rent, security deposit or utilities, as well as other needs, as outlined below.

Catholic Charities Guidelines:

• Rental assistance between the months of August 1 to December 28, 2020.
• The maximum assistance for O‘ahu is $2,000 per month per household.
• Maximum rent assistance for Neighbor Island is $1,500/month/household
• Maximum HOA assistance is $500/month/household
• Payment will go directly to vendor or Property Manager
• No duplicate applications. For example, either tenant, property owner or manager should apply.
• Mortgage assistance can be provided if it prevents foreclosure and a loan modification has been approved by the Lender.

Catholic Charities Eligibility:

• Full-time residents occupying their primary residence in the State of Hawai‘i
• 18 years of age or older
• Demonstrated loss of income directly related to COVID-19 pandemic
• No asset limit
• Current household gross income of 100% area median income (AMI) or below (see chart below)

Online Applications and additional information will soon be available on their website or you may contact Catholic Charities Hawai‘i by email at COVID19help@catholiccharitieshawaii.org.

Hawai‘i Life offers Property Management services dedicated to the success of our homeowner and tenant clients. Please contact Kahea Zietz at longtermrentals@hawaiilife.com with any questions you may have.