Rent & Mortgage Assistance Fund - UPDATED - YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE EVEN IF YOU WERE NOT BEFORE
Changes are in orange.
This program will provide rent or mortgage payments not to exceed $2,000 per month (March-December 2020) for eligible households at or below 140% of the area median income who were affected by Covid-19.
Through a $8.5 million grant from the U.S. Federal CARES Act funds, the County of Hawaii’s Office of Research and Development in partnership with Hawaiian Community Assets (HCA)/Hawaiʻi Community Lending (HCL), HOPE Services Hawaii (HOPE), Hawaii First Federal Credit Union (HFFCU), Neighborhood Place of Puna (NPP), Hawaii Island Home for Recovery (HIHR), Habitat for Humanity Hawaii Island (HFHHI), is launching a Rent and Mortgage Assistance Program to provide financial assistance to eligible households whose income has been impacted by Covid-19.
Download and share a pdf flyer here.
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Apply for Assistance Online or via Phone. NO IN PERSON APPLICATIONS, PLEASE
Eligibility:
- 18 years of age or older;
- Hawaiʻi County resident with government-issued ID. If you do not live on Hawaiʻi Island, your application will not be considered;
- Must show decrease in income or loss of work hours directly resulting from COVID-19;
- Total household income must be at or below 140% Area Median Income at time of application;
- Must not have received same benefits for the same period from another organization;
- No asset limit;
- Households already receiving federal housing subsidies (Section 8 or Public Housing participants) do not qualify.
- Funds are limited therefore the application will be available until resources have been exhausted.
Households may only apply to one organization. All applications are reviewed for duplication.
Required Documents*
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Proof of Residency (submit 1 of the following)
- Copy of valid Photo ID for applicant
- Federal or State Tax returns
- Copy of property tax statement
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Income Verification (submit ALL that apply)
- 30 days most recent paystubs for all working household members
- 2 months most recent business bank statements for all self-employed household members
- Unemployment or public assistance benefit letters for all household members
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Copy of rental lease or mortgage statement to verify housing
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Proof of Hardship (submit 1 of the following)
- Unemployment or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance approval letter
- Layoff letter from employer
- 30 days paystubs for the month of February 2020 for household member/s impacted by COVID-19
- 2 months business bank statements for January and February 2020 for household member/s who are self-employed and impacted by COVID-19
- Self-Certification Form (provided by nonprofit partner if applicable).
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If requesting assistance for previous months, provide a past due rent or mortgage notice.
- If you are instructed to fill out a Form W-9, you may download one from the IRS here.
*Please be sure ALL of your supporting documents are attached to your completed application for a quicker APPROVAL.
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How to apply
No need to come into the office for processing.
Online
You will need a Google account to access the online application at the bottom of this page. If you do not have a Google account, you may create one for free here. Make sure to save your password and check it often.
Before starting your application, make sure you have all your documents in PDF or image (.jpg, .png) format.
On the phone
Call the HOPE Services office at 808-935-3050, Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm. If you are not able to get through, leave a message, or send an email to rmap@hopeserviceshawaii.org to request a callback.
Before calling to apply, please have all your documents ready.
Questions?
Email rmap@hopeserviceshawaii.org or call the HOPE Services office at 808-935-3050, Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm.