Housing Buyouts
To address the unmet housing need following the 2018 Kīlauea eruption, Hawai‘i County launched a CDBG-DR Voluntary Housing Buyout Program and Housing Relocation Services Program in 2021. View the Buyout page for more information and to apply.
Insurance
HPIA
Hawaiʻi Property Insurance Association (HPIA) was established post-Hurricane Iniki to stabilize Hawaii’s insurance market and serve as insurer of last resort for primary residences. The program does not include second homes or commercial properties.
The program is governed by State Law HRS 431-21, which authorizes a pause in underwriting for up to six months, as was the case in certain areas during the 2018 Kīlauea eruption. In January 2019, HPIA again began offering policies in all Lava Zones, including 1 and 2.
The program is not publicly subsidized. Island Insurance is the current HPIA Plan Administrator.
Visit the Hawaiʻi Property Insurance Association website.
General County Resources for Housing Recovery
Below are housing resources currently available to all County of Hawaiʻi residents as long as they meet program requirements.
Emergency Rental Assistance Program
The Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) is funded by the County through federal funding. It will provide rent and utility grants to an estimated 3,400 households that are income qualified and can prove hardship due to COVID-19. The program is available as of April 12, 2021.
For more information, visit the County's ERAP website.
Hawaiʻi County Office of Housing and Community Development
The Office of Housing and Community Development is responsible for the planning, administration, and operation of County housing programs. Its overall goal is to provide for the development of viable communities in Hawai‘i County by providing decent housing, suitable living environments, and expanding economic opportunities.
Residential Repair Program
The Residential Repair Program assists residents with certain types of home repair. Eligible repairs include:
- Roof repairs
- Termite treatment
- Connecting sewer systems
- Faulty electrical wiring and plumbing
- Solar/water heating
The dwelling must also meet certain qualifications, which include:
- Single-family dwelling, owned in fee-simple
- Must be a completed residence prior to application
- Must meet equity underwriting requirements
- May not be located in flood hazard areas (exceptions may apply)
- Must be safe, sanitary, and decent after repairs
- To find out more information, or to apply, call (808) 959-4642.
Programs for Section 8 Participants (Housing Choice Voucher)
In order to apply for the programs list below, a resident must submit a Section 8 application to the Office of Housing and Community Development.
Family Self-Sufficiency Program
The Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program helps families become economically independent by learning to set and attain goals and receive education related to employment, job training, education, job search, money management, credit repair and home ownership. The family will work with local service-providers and an FSS specialist to identify and eliminate obstacles in their becoming free of all forms of state and federal welfare.
Participants receive an interest-bearing savings account that accrues as their household's portion of the rent increases due to an increase in their earned income. The account is tax-free and given to a family when they complete their 5-year contract of participation and are free of welfare for 12 consecutive months.
- For more information, contact the Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD) at (808) 959-4642
- Information sessions are held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 9 a.m. in the OHCD Conference Room at 1990 Kinoʻole St., Suite 104
- For program details, visit the Housing and Urban Development Agency Website
Home Ownership Option Program
Similar in nature to the Family Self-Sufficiency Program, the Homeownership Option Program helps families pay for their mortgage rather than rent for Section 8 Housing Assistance. Each applicant must be a first-time home buyer and must have an annual household income of at least the federal minimum hourly rate x 2,000 hours. The applicant must have at least one adult member who has been employed full-time for at least one year and must complete an approved pre-purchase and post purchase homeownership-counseling program.
- For more information, contact the Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD) at: (808) 959-4642
- Information sessions are held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 9 a.m. in the OHCD Conference Room at 1990 Kinoʻole St., Suite 104
Home Investment Partnership
Home Investment Partnership is a U.S. Housing and Urban Development Agency (HUD) funded program, delivered through the County of Hawai’i Office of Housing and Community Development, for the purpose of supplying decent, safe, sanitary and affordable housing. The primary intention of this program is to provide rental housing for very low-income and low-income residents through the use of tenant-based rental assistance.
Tenant-Based Rental Assistance Program
The objective of the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance Program (TBRA) is to provide temporary (two years) rental assistance to eligible families. All families selected for the TBRA program must submit an application to the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) Program.
The HOME Partnership monies will fund the TBRA program. TBRA programs help individual households rather than subsidizing particular rental projects. This allows the household to move or change properties without losing their assistance. The level of subsidy is based on the income of the household, the unit selected, and rent standards of the area. Households can use TBRA funding to help pay rent, utility costs, security deposits, and utility deposits. For Hawai’i County, preference is given to applications who qualify for certain scenarios.
United States Department of Agriculture: Rural Development
Single-Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program (HGLP)
This program assists lenders in providing low- and moderate-income households the opportunity to own adequate, modest, decent, safe and sanitary dwellings as their primary residence in eligible rural areas.
Single-Family Housing Direct Home Loans
This program assists low- and very low-income applicants to obtain decent, safe, and sanitary housing in eligible rural areas by providing payment assistance to increase an applicant's repayment ability.
Payment assistance is a type of subsidy that reduces the mortgage payment for a short time. The amount of assistance is determined by the adjusted family income. At a minimum, applicants interested in obtaining a direct loan must have an adjusted income that is at or below the applicable low-income limit for the area where they wish to buy a house and they must demonstrate the/a willingness and ability to repay debt.
There is a 33-year payback period, a 38-year payback period for very low-income applicants who cannot afford the 33-year loan term. Interest rates, when modified by payment assistance can be as low as 1% and there is no down-payment typically required.
Hawaiʻi Public Housing Authority
Rent Supplement Program
The Rent Supplement Program is funded by the State of Hawaiʻi. The rental supplements help eligible families pay for part of their monthly rent. Families must pay at least 30% of their adjusted family income for rent. The difference between the family contributing rent payment and total monthly rent up to a maximum of $230 per month is paid directly to the owner by HPHA. To qualify for this rental assistance program, a family must:
- Be in a properly-sized unit for its family size
- Not be receiving financial assistance from the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Human Services
- Provide reasonable assurances that rent can be paid on time
- Not have any outstanding debts owed to HPHA
- Must be a legal resident of the State of Hawaiʻi
- Must not own or have a majority interest in a dwelling unit on the same island on which one seeks rent assistance
- Must be within the income limits by prescribed in the Hawaiʻi administrative rules, Title 15 Chapter 184: Rent Supplement Program
Making Home Affordable Program
The Making Home Affordable (MHA) Program is intended to assist homeowners in avoiding foreclosure. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's approved counselors are available to talk with you about your situation and help you decide what options are best. A list of links and numbers can be found on the MHA website below.
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity Hawaiʻi Island is dedicated to eliminating substandard housing locally through constructing, rehabilitating, and preserving homes. Click the links below to find out qualifications and eligibility requirements as well as alternative housing options.
HOPE Services Hawaiʻi
