Hawai‘i County seeking proposals for affordable housing funding

Up to $18 million will soon be available to qualified applicants working to increase, support, or sustain the availability of affordable housing in Hawaiʻi County.

The county’s Office of Housing and Community Development will be requesting proposals for Affordable Housing Production Program funds from eligible developers, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, public agencies and community land trusts starting May 1.

“We’re proud to build on our commitment of fostering a sustainable Hawaiʻi Island where our keiki can raise their keiki for generations by helping organizations to bolster affordable housing developments on our island,” said Mayor Mitch Roth. “We’re committed to getting local families into homes, and this is just one way we’re working to ensure that we realize that commitment.”

Per the 2019 Hawaiʻi Housing Planning Study, Hawaiʻi County needed to add 10,796 affordable housing units by 2025 to meet the community’s needs. That makes public-private partnerships like those that will be fostered by the Affordable Housing Production Program critical to ensuring local families can thrive here for generations to come, according to county officials.

Proposals for program funds must meet the primary objective of the Affordable Housing Production Program to support, increase, and sustain the supply of affordable rental and owner-occupied housing on Hawai’i Island and other requirements.

A variety of activities may qualify for funding via the Affordable Housing Production Program, including:

• Acquisition of real property for the development of affordable housing
• Planning, design, or construction of affordable rental or owner-occupied housing
• Rehabilitation of housing to be utilized as affordable housing
• Providing affordable housing for elderly, persons with special housing needs, and homeless residents lacking a permanent home
• Investment in infrastructure in connection with the development of affordable housing projects
• Other activities that support, increase, and sustain affordable housing production in Hawai’i County

Proposals must be submitted electronically only through an online application platform that will be available on the OHCD website, www.hawaiicounty.gov/ahp, starting May 1. Proposals are due by 4:30 p.m. June 30.

Eligible nonprofit and for-profit organizations, public agencies and community land trusts considering proposal submissions and interested community members are encouraged to take part in one of two virtual information sessions via Zoom. To register for the first session at 1:30 p.m. May 4 visit tinyurl.com/386ce4xb. The second session will be held at 9:30 a.m. May 9, 2023, visit tinyurl.com/4tjcr58d to register.

For more information on the upcoming request for proposals for Affordable Housing Production Program funds, or to obtain a copy of the proposal guide, visit www.hawaiicounty.gov/ahp or email [email protected].

The funding was made possible through Ordinance 22-77, passed by the County Council in June 2022, and signed into law by Mayor Roth. The law appropriates a minimum of $5 million per year to the Office of Housing and Community Development to facilitate programs that support affordable housing production in Hawaiʻi County.

“To support and build a sustainable Hawaiʻi Island, we must address the availability and quality of housing. This unprecedented investment in the community reflects the administration’s continued commitment to prioritizing affordable housing development and increasing the number of affordable rental and owner-occupied housing units available to our ‘ohana,” said Housing Administrator Susan Kunz. “The Hawaiʻi County Office of Housing and Community Development is pleased to administer the Affordable Housing Production Program and looks forward to partnering with qualified developers, organizations, agencies, and land trusts to support the development and preservation of much-needed affordable housing to ensure the viability of our communities.”