Hawai‘i County, Nonprofit Leaders to Host Meetings on Rent Relief Plan

The County of Hawai‘i and six local nonprofits will be hosting a series of meetings with community and business leaders on a plan to provide $7.25 million in rent and mortgage assistance grants to residents impacted by COVID-19.

Meetings will be hosted virtually by Hawai‘i Community Lending and the Mayor’s Office on Sept. 14-16, from 5-6 p.m.

“Many people on Hawai‘i Island have lost jobs and income because of the pandemic,” said Mayor Harry Kim. “This cooperation with our community partners to quickly distribute these funds helps people stay in their homes and prevents homelessness.”

The meetings will present current data from the Hawai‘i County Rent and Mortgage Assistance Program (RMAP) along with the plan for deploying all rent and mortgage assistance funds by Dec. 7. Presentations will be followed by discussions with invited leaders and directors from the six nonprofit partners administering the program with the goal of forming multi-sector partnerships that will help reach island residents in need.

On Aug. 24, Hawai‘i Community Lending joined with Hawai‘i First Federal Credit Union, HOPE Services Hawai‘, Habitat for Humanity Hawai‘i Island, Hawai‘i Island Home for Recovery, and Neighborhood Place of Puna to launch the RMAP and open applications through the nonprofit partners. The County of Hawai‘i has funded the collaborative effort with $8.5 million in CARES Act funding.

To qualify for rent and mortgage grants, applicants must be Hawai‘i Island residents, at least 18 years old, and have lost income or work hours due to COVID-19. Applicant households must earn below the maximum annual income limit to receive funding. See the parameters in the table below.

Courtesy of Hawai’i County

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“The housing market is the underpinning of our economy,” said Jeff Gilbreath, Director of Lending and Development for Hawai‘i Community Lending. “We have a short window of opportunity to come together in the spirit of transparency, accountability, and genuine kokua to move ahead and make sure those who need resources get them and are able to stay in their homes.”

Invitations will be sent and community and business leaders are encouraged to register below to attend. Meetings will be open to the public with comments limited to invited attendees. All meetings will be recorded and placed on the Hawai‘i RMAP website for later viewing.

Schedule of Community and Business Leader Meetings
Monday, September 14: Community and Nonprofits
Tuesday, September 15: Businesses and Employers
Wednesday, September 16: Landlords and Mortgage Lenders

Those interested in registering for a community and business leader meeting, email the Hawai‘i County RMAP Coordinator, Maile Lavea-Malloe at maile@hawaiiancommunity.net.