Rental & Utility Relief Program
Rental & Utility Relief Program
Friday, June 3, 2022 (12:30 PM - 1:30 PM) (HST)
Description
A household can qualify for the Rental and Utility Relief Program when:
The household can show financial harm during the pandemic and at least one member is at risk of losing their housing, and
The household is at 80% annual median income or lower. For a household of four, that is $96,650 a year or less. There is a complete list of income limits by household size in the Frequently Asked Questions.
Or, a household can qualify if at least one member has been unemployed for 90 days at the time of application.
Updates in February 2022:
The Rental and Utility Relief Program has received new funding from the Emergency Rental Assistance Program.
We appreciate the public’s patience as our partners continue processing applications and recertifications with these funds.
Our partners are carefully reviewing applications to eliminate duplicates and potentially fraudulent applications to make sure help goes to families that need it.
To make it easier to apply, families enrolled in Med-QUEST health insurance can use it as proof of income.
If you have questions about the status of your recertification or application, please contact the community partner managing your application.
Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi: 808-521-4357, option 1, then 1 again.
Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement: 808-596-8155, option 1.
Both call centers are open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
To get ready to apply, we recommend:
Have only one person per household apply. Multiple applications from the same household will be disallowed and delay processing applications for other households in need.
Don’t apply if anyone in your household has already completed an application.
Gather needed documents. There’s a list of required documents in the FAQ.
Don’t apply for mortgage help. The program cannot pay for mortgages due to federal guidelines. Eligible homeowners can apply for the state’s O’ahu Homeowner Assistance Fund: hawaiiancouncil.org/oahuhome.
Mediation for renters:
If you’ve received an eviction notice, we urge you to call The Mediation Center of the Pacific immediately at 808-807-0080.
Mediation is offered at no cost to renters and landlords and can help them agree on payment plans.
Language services and technology support are available to renters.
Nearly 90% of renters who enter mediation reach an agreement with their landlord.
Learn More
Images
Jasmine Cho