City to accept first 2,000 new applications for rent, utility relief program

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A key COVID-19 relief program for Oahu renters will temporarily reopen for applications on Tuesday.

The city will accept up to 2,000 new applications for its Rental and Utility Relief Program beginning at 2 p.m. The program is touted as one of the nation’s most successful rental relief programs.

Mayor Rick Blangiardi said that the RURP has played an integral role in keeping Oahu residents safely housed during what he called “some of the island’s darkest times.”

The program doled out $216 million in federal funds to help 16,000 Oahu families struggling to pay rent.

Now, the city has $25 million to spend on the program from State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds approved by the Honolulu City Council in January.

New applicants may qualify for six months of assistance with rent and utility expenses.

Returning enrollees with at least three months of eligibility can receive up to three more months of assistance. They must earn less than a third of the city’s average income. For a family of four, that’s $39,300 or less.

These enrollees must have at least three months of eligibility left to qualify for this assistance.

To apply online, click here.

For those who may not be able to apply online, the city will hold in-person events around Oahu. The first event will be on June 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Nanakuli Public Library in Waianae.

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