Gov. David Ige says he will extend the state’s eviction moratorium through September 30, 2020. This comes as economists statewide (and nationally) have expressed concern about what happens once eviction moratoriums expire. The University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization says around 40% of people in Hawaii are renters, and at significant risk of needing rent help…especially with the cessation of the additional Federal unemployment insurance payments. UHERO estimates that renters may need up to $2,200 a month in assistance.
At the same time, Hawaii County is partnering with six local nonprofit organizations to offer rent and mortgage assistance. The program, called the Hawaii County Rent and Mortgage Assistance Program (RMAP), begins Monday, August 24th at 8 a.m.
RMAP nonprofit partners are encouraging Hawaii Island residents who are at least 18 years old and lost income or work hours due to COVID-19 to prepare ahead to apply.
RMAP is funded by the County of Hawaii with Federal CARES Act dollars and will provide a rent or mortgage payment of up to $1,000 per month for an estimated 1,445 households that income qualify and can prove hardship due to COVID-19 for each month they receive assistance from March 2020 to December 2020. Funding will be limited to households’ primary residence on Hawaii Island.
Applications will be processed by six Hawaii Island-based nonprofit partners and payments will be made directly to landlords, property managers or mortgage lenders. Approved applicants will also have access to financial counseling services. The Hawaii County RMAP nonprofit partners include:
- Hawaiian Community Assets (HCA)/Hawaii 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)
Households who have been impacted by COVID-19 and have a past due rent or mortgage notice are encouraged to apply at one of the nonprofit partners. Persons without internet access or a computer are encouraged to call one of the RMAP nonprofit partners to request a paper application or to complete an application over the phone. See right for more information on how to apply.
RMAP Qualifications
To qualify for rent or mortgage assistance grants, applicants must meet the following qualifications:
- Be a Hawaii Island resident
- At least 18 years old
- Lost income or work hours due to COVID-19, and
- Current annual household income at or below 100% of area median income for the number of members in their household. See chart below to see if your household income qualifies.
| # Household Members | Annual Household Income Maximum |
| 1 | $58,400 |
| 2 | $66,700 |
| 3 | $75,000 |
| 4 | $83,300 |
| 5 | $90,000 |
| 6 | $96,700 |
| 7 | $103,300 |
| 8 | $110,000 |
| Add $8,300 for each additional household member above 8 persons | |
Required Documents
Applicants will be required to submit the following documents with their applications to be considered for rent or mortgage assistance:
Proof of Resident and Age
- Copy of photo ID
Income Documents for ALL household members (provide all that apply)
- 30 days most recent pay stubs
- 2 months most recent business bank statements (if self-employed)
- Unemployment or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefit letter
- Public benefit statements
Housing (provide 1 of the following)
- Copy of rental lease/contract
- Copy of mortgage statement
Proof of Hardship (provide 1 of the following)
- 30 days of paystubs for February 2020
- Unemployment or PUA approval letter
- Letter from employer verifying job loss or reduced work hours
- Business bank statements for January and February 2020 (if self-employed)
Below is the contact information for the six nonprofit organizations involved in the program. Applications will be accepted starting Monday, Aug. 24.
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Hawaiian Community Assets (HCA)/Hawaii Community Lending (HCL) 808.934.0801
HOPE Services Hawaii (HOPE) 808.935.3050 rmap@hopeserviceshawaii.org
Hawaii First Federal Credit Union (HFFCU) www.hawaiifirstfcu.com/pathways 808.933.6600
Neighborhood Place of Puna (NPP) www.neighborhoodplaceofpuna.org 808.965.5550 caresact@neighborhoodplace.org
Hawaii Island Home for Recovery (HIHR) 808.640.4443 808.934.7852
Habitat for Humanity Hawaii Island (HFHHI) 808.450.2118 |