The Honolulu Office of Economic Revitalization will accept 2,000 new applications for its rent and utility relief program. The portal will primarily be for families who have not received assistance from the program before.
Households that have received prior assistance from the program are asked to contact either Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi or the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement for assistance.
Eligible requests will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. The program has $25 million for this round of applications.
"New applicants can receive up to six months of financial help. Returning applicants can receive up to three months of financial health," said Amy Asselbaye, director of the Office of Economic Revitalization.
Applicants will need several documents such as bank statements or pay stubs showing financial hardship since March 13, 2020, rental agreements, and a copy showing overdue rent or utility bills.
The city will host outreach events for those who cannot access the portal. Asselbaye said the first will be held at the Nānākuli Public Library on Monday, June 19.
"We hope to hold eight more of those in-person events to make sure that this online process for applying is just above and beyond."
The rent and utility relief program was launched in April 2021 to help cover rent and utility expenses for households impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through its partners, the city has distributed roughly $216 million in federal funds — helping more than 16,000 families on Oʻahu.
UPDATE: Due to a surge in applications, the city announced that the portal closed Tuesday. The city said they received about 2,000 new applications in just over two hours.
More information can be found at www.revitalizeoahu.org/renthelp.
