Department of Human Services

HAWAI‘I RELIEF PROGRAM FAQs – SUPPORT FOR HOUSING AND UTILITY PAYMENTS

1. What is the Hawaiʻi Relief Program?
2. What type of help can a family receive through the Hawaiʻi Relief Program?
3. What is considered a “family” for the purposes of the Hawaiʻi Relief Program?
4. What are the eligibility criteria for the Hawaiʻi Relief Program?
5. What are the income limits to qualify for payments through the Hawaiʻi Relief Program?
6. What is considered an “episode of financial need” for the purposes of the Hawaiʻi Relief Program?
7. Are there documents that a family will need to provide besides their application, and if so, what documents?
8. What is a “valid application”?
9. Does a family need to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, financial assistance, or other types of government assistance to qualify for the Hawaiʻi Relief Program?
10. Would a family be able to receive help through the Hawaiʻi Relief Program while receiving public assistance benefits such as SNAP and financial assistance?
11. How can a family apply for housing, utility and/or automobile payments?
12. Can a family apply for housing assistance while they look for a place to rent?
13. Would a family be able to receive help from the Hawaiʻi Relief Program if the family already received housing, utility and/or automobile payment assistance from other programs?
14. Why does a landlord or property owner need to provide a copy of their W9 and Hawaii General Excise Tax (GET) License?
15. How will an eligible family receive housing, utility, or automobile payments?
16. Who is administering the Hawaiʻi Relief Program?
17. How can a family get more information about the Hawaiʻi Relief Program?

 

1. What is the Hawaiʻi Relief Program?

The Hawaiʻi Relief Program is a new statewide program that provides non-recurring short-term housing, utility, and automobile payments, not to exceed four (4) months, to help families with dependent children who have an episode of financial need resulting from one of the following extenuating circumstances:

• Involuntary loss of employment without cause;
• Involuntary reduction or loss of income without cause;
• Unexpected medical expenses as the result of emergency and life-threatening medical issue not covered by medical insurance;
• Natural disaster (e.g., hurricane, tsunami, volcano eruption, etc.);
• Involuntary loss of public assistance that provide financial support, housing assistance, food security, or utility assistance, as the result of a government shutdown or suspension/termination of a government program; or
• An event that caused a family unit to become homeless, sheltered or unsheltered.

Pursuant to the Governor’s Emergency Proclamation Relating to Homelessness, the Hawaiʻi Relief Program is another initiative developed by the Department of Human Services in an effort to help homeless families secure and maintain stable housing — and to prevent families from becoming homeless.

2. What type of help can a family receive through the Hawaiʻi Relief Program?

An eligible family may receive help with the following:

• One-time housing deposit, actual cost up to a maximum of $6,000
• Housing payments, actual cost up to the maximum of $6,000, for up to four months
• One-time utility deposit, actual cost up to $3,000 for each utility source (electricity, water, gas)
• Utility payments, actual cost up to the maximum of $2,000, for up to four months
• One-time automobile downpayment, actual cost up to $5,000, to purchase an automobile
• Automobile payments, actual cost up to the maximum of $500, for up to four months

3. What is considered a “family” for the purposes of the Hawaiʻi Relief Program?

A “family” includes an adult specified relative(s) such as natural and adoptive parents, stepparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc., and their dependent children under the age of 18 years  residing in the same housing unit, for whom they are responsible to provide parental care and has legal custody of the children, or a pregnant woman without a dependent child, who is in the third trimester of pregnancy.

4. What are the eligibility criteria for the Hawaiʻi Relief Program?

The Hawaiʻi Relief Program is targeted at assisting families who are experiencing an episode of financial need and are behind in payments or are unable to pay for their current housing, utility, or automobile payments.  A family may be eligible if:

• The family includes an adult specified relative who resides with and has legal custody of a dependent child under the age of 18 years for whom they provide parental care, or a pregnant woman without a dependent child who is in the third trimester of pregnancy;
• All family members are residents of Hawaiʻi;
• There is at least one family member who is a U.S. citizen; a qualified non-citizen; or is a citizen of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Republic of Palau and is lawfully residing in the Hawaiʻi under the Compacts of Free Association (COFA);
• The family’s total gross income is below the eligibility guidelines for the program (see question #5 below);
• The family demonstrates an episode of financial need resulting from an extenuating circumstance (see question #6 below); and
• The family has not received other assistance that may duplicate the payments provided through the Hawaiʻi Relief program.

5. What are the income limits to qualify for payments through the Hawaiʻi Relief Program?

To be eligible for the housing and utility payments through the Hawaiʻi Relief Program, a family’s total gross income must be at or under 300% of the 2025 Hawaiʻi Federal Poverty level for the applicable family size.

 

Family Size	Annual	Monthly		Family Size	Annual	Monthly
1	$55,080	$4,590		6	$153,030	$12,752
2	$74,670	$6,222		7	$172,620	$14,385
3	$94,260	$7,855		8	$192,210	$16,017
4	$113,850	$9,487		9	$211,800	$17,650
5	$133,440	$11,120		10	$231,390	$19,282
For each additional family member					$19,590	$1,632

6. What is considered an “episode of financial need” for the purposes of the Hawaiʻi Relief Program?

An “episode of financial need” is an immediate and existing critical financial situation when a family is in arrears in payments or is unable to pay for their current basic housing, utility, or automobile payments as the result of an extenuating circumstance.  An extenuating circumstance is an unforeseen and exceptional event that is beyond a family’s control and was not caused directly by the family or its members.  An extenuating circumstance include:

• Involuntary loss of employment without cause;
• Involuntary reduction or loss of income without cause;
• Unexpected medical expenses as the result of emergency and life-threatening medical issue not covered by medical insurance;
• Natural disaster (e.g., hurricane, tsunami, volcano eruption, etc.);
• Involuntary loss of public assistance that provide financial support, housing assistance, food security, or utility assistance, as the result of a government shutdown or suspension/termination of a government program; or
• An event that caused a family unit to become sheltered or unsheltered homeless.

7. Are there documents that a family will need to provide besides their application, and if so, what documents?

Yes.  In addition to submitting a valid application, a family will need to provide the following documents:

1. Government-issued identification card for the applicant;
2. Documents that verify family composition (i.e., relationship to the minor dependent child in the family) such as birth certificates, court documents, etc.;
3. Proof of Hawaiʻi residency for the family (e.g., rent/lease agreement, utility bill, SNAP or other public assistance letter, etc.);
4. U.S. citizenship or immigration status (e.g., Hawaiʻi state identification, government-issued birth certificate, immigration card, U.S. passport, etc.);
5. Verification of the family’s total gross income which includes unearned income (e.g., Social Security or SSI benefits, pension/retirement, worker’s compensation, unemployment insurance benefits, child support/alimony payments, regular cash contribution, etc.) and earned income (e.g., employment and self-employment);
6. Documents that confirm the family’s episode of financial need as the result of an extenuating circumstance;
7. Rent/lease agreement or mortgage account statement (for housing payments);
8. Account for each utility expense requested (for utility payments); and/or
9. Automobile loan statement or bill of sale (for automobile payments).

Instead of providing verifications for Items b) through e) above, a family may provide proof of Housing Choice Voucher (formerly Section 8) rent assistance; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits; Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) financial benefits; or Women, Infant and Children (WIC) benefits, if the family receives benefits from one of these federal-funded programs.

8. What is a “valid application”?

A valid application is a DHS prescribed Hawaiʻi Relief Program application form that is completed in its entirety and is signed and dated by the applicant.  The applicant who signs the application form under penalty of law attests that all the information provided on the application form is true and correct, will be the primary contact person for the family unit.

9. Does a family need to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, financial assistance, or other types of government assistance to qualify for the Hawaiʻi Relief Program?

No. A family does NOT need to receive SNAP, financial assistance or other government assistance to qualify for housing or utility payments through the Hawaiʻi Relief Program.  However, a family may not qualify if the family is currently receiving other government or private-funded assistance for housing, utility, or automobile payments that duplicate the payments from the Hawaiʻi Relief Program.

10. Would a family be able to receive help through the Hawaiʻi Relief Program while receiving public assistance benefits such as SNAP and financial assistance?

Yes.  The Hawaiʻi Relief Program is a separate DHS program that provides non-recurring short-term payments, no more than four months, to specifically help with housing, utility and/or automobile payments, for families who are experiencing an episode of financial need that resulted from an extenuating circumstance (see question #6 above).  Public assistance benefits such as SNAP and financial assistance ensure ongoing food security and recurring needs of individuals and families.

11. How can a family apply for housing, utility and/or automobile payments?

Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi and Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc., are contracted to administer the Hawaiʻi Relief Program for DHS, which accepts electronic and hard-copy applications.  Electronic applications are accepted online through their website or via email.  Hard-copy applications may be dropped off in person or mailed to the appropriate office location.  See question #18 below.

12. Can a family apply for housing assistance while they look for a place to rent?

No.  To receive housing payments through the Hawaiʻi Relief Program, a family unit must have a signed rental or lease contract, mortgage loan account with a financial institution, or other formal and binding agreement for a primary residence in the state.  The housing costs may not include maintenance, repairs, remodeling, or other capital improvement costs.

13. Would a family be able to receive help from the Hawaiʻi Relief Program if the family already received housing, utility and/or automobile payment assistance from other programs?

Payments through the Hawaiʻi Relief Program cannot duplicate or replace housing, utility, or automobile payments a family received or is expected to receive from other government entities, private organizations, insurance agencies, third-party payers, or individuals.

If a family received a deposit payment that helped to secure the housing where they currently live; or deposit payment(s) to connect utility source(s) where they currently live; or deposit payment for an automobile they already purchased, then the family would not be eligible to receive deposit payments through the Hawaiʻi Relief Program.

However, a family may receive up to four (4) months of housing, utility, or automobile payments from the Hawaiʻi Relief Program, based on current needs, even though they already received help from other programs, provided the family is determined eligible and the Hawaiʻi Relief Program payments are not applied to housing, utility, or automobile expenses for months in which other programs have already paid.

14. Why does a landlord or property owner need to provide a copy of their W9 and Hawaii General Excise Tax (GET) License?

A third-party payee designated by an eligible family, such as a landlord/property owner, utility company, or auto dealership, must be compliant with federal and state laws that affect the third-party payee’s ability to do business in the state, including rules and regulations of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and the Hawaiʻi Department of Taxation.  Payments will be made to the designated third-party payee after compliance is verified.

15. Is a family able to apply for housing, utility, and automobile payments?

Yes.  A family unit who is experiencing an episode of financial need may apply for the housing, utility, and/or automobile payments based on their current needs.

16. How will an eligible family receive housing, utility, or automobile payments?

If a family is determined eligible to receive Hawaiʻi Relief Program payments, the payments will be paid directly to its designated third-party payee, which may be a landlord, property manager or owner, mortgage company or financial institution, utility company, or automobile dealership, on behalf of the eligible family.
No payments will be issued directly to the family. This is to ensure that the payments will not be counted as income should the family apply for SNAP benefits, financial assistance benefits, child care subsidies, or other public assistance programs.

17. Who is administering the Hawaiʻi Relief Program?

DHS has contracted the following community-based service providers:

Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi to administer the program on the islands of Kauaʻi, Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi Island.
Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc. to administer the program on the islands of Maui, Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi.

18. How can a family get more information about the Hawaiʻi Relief Program?

For more information and updates regarding the statewide Hawaiʻi Relief Program, please contact the following service providers:
Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi, for residents on Oʻahu, Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi Island
Telephone Number: 808-521-4357, press “1” for financial assistance, and press “1” again for the Hawaiʻi Relief Program (HPR) Team.
Email Address: [email protected]
Website: https://www.catholiccharitieshawaii.org/hawaii-relief-program/

For more information and updates regarding the new statewide Hawaiʻi Relief Program, please contact the following:

Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi, for residents on Oʻahu, Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi Island

Telephone Number:  808-521-4357, press “1”  for financial assistance, and press “1” again for the Hawaiʻi Relief Program (HPR) Team.

Email Address: [email protected]

Website:  https://www.catholiccharitieshawaii.org/hawaii-relief-program/

Online Application QR code		Kauaʻi Office 4373 Rice Street #1 Lihuʻe
Honolulu Office		West Hawaiʻi Island Office
1822 Keʻeaumoku Street		73-5618 Maiau Street
Honolulu		Kailua-Kona
Leeward Oʻahu Office		East Hawaiʻi Island Office
86-082 Farrington Highway #255		58 Kinoʻole Street, Suite 104
Waiʻanae		Hilo

 

Maui Economic Opportunity Inc., for residents on Maui, Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi

Telephone Number:  808-243-4357

Email Address:  [email protected]

Website:  https://www.meoinc.org/hawaii-relief-program-tanf-support-for-housing-and-utility-payments/

Online Application: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/3d429f59d6874122baedf6fb19d85913

West Maui Office	East Maui Office
Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Family Center	Hāna Neighborhood Center
99 Mahalani Street	Uakea Road
Wailuku	Hāna

Molokaʻi Office	Lānaʻi Office
380 Kolapa Place	1144 ʻIlima Avenue #102
Kaunakakai	Lānaʻi City

Please do not call or walk in to the DHS Processing Centers regarding questions about the Hawaiʻi Relief Program, as the Hawaiʻi Relief Program is separate from the SNAP or financial assistance programs and will not be processed through the DHS Processing Centers.