Kīlauea Recovery Housing Buyout Program Set to Begin

The County of Hawai‘i will begin accepting applications for the first of three phases of the Kīlauea Disaster Recovery Voluntary Housing Buyout Program (VHBP) on April 30. Phase 1 addresses properties that were used as a primary residence at the time of the 2018 eruption.

Eligible properties for the VHBP must have been impacted by the disaster, whether by inundation or isolation, damage by fires caused by lava, or secondary effects of volcanic activity, such as heating or gases. Applicants must have owned the property at the time of the eruption.

The following is the application timeline for the three phases:

Phase 1 (primary residences): April 30, 2021, through July 30, 2021

Phase 2 (secondary residences): November 1, 2021, through January 31, 2022

Phase 3 (undeveloped properties): May 2, 2022, through July 29, 2022

Phasing is based on use of the property at the time of the eruption. Late applications will be processed during subsequent phases. Time between each phase’s application period will be used by staff to process applications and submit buyout offers to qualifying applicants.

The application form can be downloaded from the County’s Kīlauea recovery website – recovery.hawaiicounty.gov – starting April 30. Applications submitted before the appropriate phase start date won’t be accepted. Applicants in need of a paper copy can contact the Kīlauea Disaster Recovery Division at (808) 961-8996 or kilaueabuyout@hawaiicounty.gov.

The VHBP is funded with an allocation of $83.84 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program. Buyout offers will be based on the 2017 pre-eruption assessed market value with a limit of $230,000.

The VHBP received strong support from residents who responded to the County’s Kīlauea Recovery Housing Survey. In total, more than 800 people completed the survey, with 77% reporting they are interested in a buyout as at least one of their options. A large majority of respondents (87%) said their property was inundated by lava; 34% received an insurance payout.

The 2018 eruption on Kīlauea’s Lower East Rift Zone destroyed 612 homes, including 294 primary residences.

“The 2018 eruption upended the lives of lower Puna residents, and many who lost a home are still needing help with finding secure, permanent housing,” said Douglas Le, the County’s Kīlauea disaster recovery officer. “This federally funded program will help them get back on their feet and address an urgent need following the disaster while reducing risks from future eruptions.”

Applications from households that are low- to moderate-income will be given priority, although households of all income ranges are eligible to apply for this assistance. Acquired properties will be managed as open space, as required by HUD. Limited agricultural uses may be allowed.

Additionally, the County is starting a Housing Relocation Services Program (HRSP), also funded by the CDBG-DR grant, on April 30 that will help income-qualified residents who were displaced by the eruption and do not have secure, permanent housing. Both property owners and long-term renters who were displaced by the 2018 eruption are eligible for this program.

Services with HRSP include identifying rental properties, or properties for purchase, and providing financial assistance for costs to secure permanent housing, including security deposits for rentals and partial down payment assistance.

Visit recovery.hawaiicounty.gov for additional information on both programs.