Hawaiian Homelands program launched to offer rent relief to laid off workers

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - The Department of Hawaiian Homelands says a new rental assistance program will save more than 2,500 households from eviction.

The program is for applicants on the Hawaiian Homes wait list who lost their job or income due to the pandemic.

“If the family’s income is zero as it is in many of the situations that we have today, the department through Aloha United Way will cover the entire security deposit as well as rent for up to six months,” William Aila said.

The applicant’s total household income also cannot exceed about $93,000 for a family of four.

“Rent assistance right now is out in front of all the other categories of assistance and this program is particularly well timed,” Norm Baker of AUW added.

The maximum rental assistance cannot exceed 30% of an applicant’s income. And those who apply must provide two months of pay stubs and bank statements, as well as two years of federal tax returns.

Interested applicants can apply by calling AUW at 211.