COUNTY OF HAWAI’I OFFICE OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT REOPENING OF THE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM WAITING LIST The County of Hawai’i is pleased to announce that it will be accepting applications for its Housing Choice Voucher Programs (Section 8) waiting list beginning: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2021 AT 9:00 AM THROUGH FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2021 AT 4:00 PM Applications must be completed and submitted electronically through the OHCD’s online application portal, accessible with any computer or smartphone with internet access at: https://www.hawaiicounty.gov/i-want-to/apply-for-a-an There is no cost to apply. Only one application per family, per waiting list will be allowed. Applications will be provided at the agency, only for persons with disabilities that limits the ability to access the on-line application process. You may contact the OHCD at (808) 959-4642 to request a reasonable accommodation. What are housing choice vouchers? The housing choice voucher program is the federal government’s major program for assisting very-low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market. Federal funds are received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to the County of Hawai’i to administer the voucher program. An eligible family that is issued a voucher is responsible for finding a suitable housing unit where the owner agrees to rent under the program. A housing subsidy is paid to the landlord directly by the OHCD on behalf of the participating family for rental units that meet minimum federal standards of health and safety and local requirements. The family pays the difference allowed between the actual rent charged by the landlord and the amount subsidized by the program. If authorized by the OHCD, a family may use its voucher to purchase a modest home. Applicants interested in the Homeownership Option Program, or rental property owners interested in learning about our program may contact the OHCD at (808) 959-4642 or email inquiries to sec8info@hawaiicounty.gov. Am I eligible for rental assistance? Eligibility is determined by the OHCD based on the total gross income and family size. Assistance is limited to US citizens and specified categories of non-citizens who have eligible immigration status. In general, the family’s income may not exceed 80 percent of the median income for Hawai’i County. By law, the OHCD must provide 75 percent of its vouchers to applicants whose incomes do not exceed 30 percent of the area median income. 2021 HUD Income Limits Area Median Family Income (AMI) $78,800 Gross Annual Income must be at or below: Number of Household 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Members Low (80 % AMI) 47,950 54,800 61,650 68,500 74,000 79,500 84,950 90,450 Local Preferences (for complete details, please refer to the link to Chapter 4 of our Administrative Rules effective July 1, 2021) The demand for housing assistance exceeds the limited resources available to the OHCD, therefore waiting periods are common. Due to limited funding availability, only 1000 applicants will be selected using a lottery system and ordered by local preferences and lottery number. *Families who qualify for any local preferences move ahead of other families on the list who do not qualify for any preference. Not all applicants will be placed on the waiting list. Randomly selecting applications received for placement on the waiting list ensures that the process is fair and equitable. The date and time of receipt of the application has no bearing on whether an application will be placed on the waiting list. There is no advantage to applying immediately after the list opens. Families will be selected from the waiting list if they qualify in the following prioritized order: 1. Highest Priority: Any resident family of the State or County of Hawai’i whose gross annual income is at or below 30%, has at least one (1) minor child under the age of 18 and/or who include an elderly person or a person with a disability, and a valid lease agreement with a landlord that agrees to participate in the HCV program will be given the highest priority. 2. Any resident family of the State or County of Hawai’i whose gross annual income is at or below 30%, has at least one (1) minor child under the age of 18 and/or who include an elderly person or a person with a disability. 3. Next, the following categories will be treated equally: Elderly/Disabled Families whose assistance had been terminated from its HCV program due to insufficient funding, Applicants who are experiencing an emergency situation, (homeless or involuntarily displaced), and Specific special purpose voucher participants who qualify to “move up”. The OHCD will contact the applicant family when it is time to begin the screening process. During the screening process, the OHCD will interview, collect, and verify information on family income, assets, and family composition to determine program eligibility and amount of subsidy. HOUSING ASSISTANCE IS NOT GUARANTEED The County of Hawai’i does not discriminate against any person because of race, color, religion, familial status, age, disability, national origin, ancestry, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity expression, or HIV status. AFTER OCTOBER 8TH, APPLICATIONS WILL BE RESTRICTED TO DIRECT REFERRALS ONLY The OHCD will accept applications on an ongoing basis for homeless or involuntary displacement from the following organizations: U.S. Veterans Administration for the HUD-VASH program; Continuum of Care-Coordinated Entry System for the Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) program; and Department of Human Services, and Child Welfare Services Branch for homeless youth under age 25 for the Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) program. Organizations that provide either public services, health and human services, or social services. Services or programs must be provided by government, private, charitable, or nonprofit agencies within the County of Hawaii. Services include but are not limited to delivery of major assistance programs to provide benefits such as food (SNAP), healthcare (Medicaid), financial assistance (TANF), education, job training, and shelter. Duly submitted by Susan Kunz Housing Administrator (WHT1342011 9/17, 9/19, 9/20/21)