If you’re renting on Oahu and can’t cover the rent, three programs are actively taking applicants or holding waitlists in 2026: the state-funded Hawaii Relief Program for households with children, city programs run through the Department of Community Services for people at or near homelessness, and the federal Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program for longer-term subsidy. Rental assistance on Oahu tightened sharply after the federal Emergency Rental Assistance funding closed out on September 30, 2025, so the programs below are what remain — and each has its own eligibility rules, not one shared application.1U.S. Department of the Treasury. Emergency Rental Assistance Program
Hawaii Relief Program: The Main Option for Families
The Hawaii Relief Program is the primary source of direct rental and utility help for eligible Oahu families right now. It’s funded through Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) dollars, overseen by the state Department of Human Services, and administered on Oahu by Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi and the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement.2Department of Human Services. Hawaiʻi Relief Program FAQs – Support for Housing and Utility Payments
Approved households can receive up to four months of assistance. Rent payments are capped at $6,000 per month, security deposits at $6,000, and utility payments at $2,000 per month per utility source. Payments go directly to the landlord or utility company, never to the tenant.
To qualify, your household must meet all of these:
- At least one household member must be a dependent child, or someone in the household must be in their third trimester of pregnancy.
- Total household income must be at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level.
- All immediate family members must be Hawaiʻi residents.
- At least one family member must be a U.S. citizen or qualified immigrant.
- You must have a valid lease for a primary residence on Oʻahu, Kauaʻi, or Hawaiʻi Island.
- You must be experiencing a financial hardship, such as falling behind on rent, job loss, or a utility shutoff notice.2Department of Human Services. Hawaiʻi Relief Program FAQs – Support for Housing and Utility Payments
The dependent-child requirement is the big one. Single adults and couples without children do not qualify, even at very low incomes. If that’s you, skip ahead to the city programs and 211.
The Older RURP Program Is Closed
You may find pages online telling you to apply for the City and County of Honolulu’s Rental and Utility Relief Program. That program moved over $300 million in direct payments to landlords and utility companies during and after the pandemic, but its financial assistance began winding down in 2024, and past participants were transitioned to Housing Stabilization Services for case management rather than direct rent payments.3City and County of Honolulu. Join Us – Rental and Utility Relief Enrollment Event in Makiki for New Applicants The federal Emergency Rental Assistance funding that paid for it closed on September 30, 2025. RURP is not accepting new applications.
City Programs for People At or Near Homelessness
Honolulu’s Department of Community Services runs a few housing programs, but they’re aimed at a narrower group than the Hawaii Relief Program — people who are homeless or on the edge of it, not renters with stable jobs who simply can’t keep up with market rents.
Rent-to-Work provides a short-term rental subsidy lasting 12 to 24 months, paired with job placement help and case management. You must meet the HUD definition of homelessness (sheltered or unsheltered) or be at risk of becoming homeless, and your total household income must be at or below 60% of the Area Median Income.4City and County of Honolulu. WorkHawaiʻi Housing Assistance Programs
T.E.A.M. WorkHawaiʻi focuses on preventing homelessness and prolonged unemployment for populations including early-release detainees, individuals in treatment facilities, and low-to-moderate-income residents. It centers on employment assistance and case management rather than direct rent payments.4City and County of Honolulu. WorkHawaiʻi Housing Assistance Programs
Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers
Section 8 remains the most substantial long-term rental subsidy available on Oahu. The City and County of Honolulu Department of Community Services administers it under 24 CFR Part 982. A voucher pays a portion of your rent directly to a private landlord while you cover the rest.5eCFR. 24 CFR Part 982 – Section 8 Tenant-Based Assistance Housing Choice Voucher Program
The Honolulu Section 8 waitlist is currently closed and not accepting applications.6Department of Community Services. CAD Section 8 Eligibility Historically, it stays closed for years at a stretch, with thousands of families already queued when it briefly opens. When it reopens, the Department of Community Services posts a public notice and accepts pre-applications through its online portal.7Department of Community Services. DCS CAD Housing Choice Voucher Section 8
When it does open, the pre-application asks for Social Security numbers for every household member, gross income and employer information, the cash value of all household assets (bank accounts, stocks, real estate), dates of birth, and answers about public assistance and criminal history for adult household members. The process runs entirely online, so keep a working email address ready.
Income Limits That Gate Most Programs
Most Oahu rental assistance uses HUD’s income limits, published each fiscal year based on the Honolulu Area Median Income. For FY 2025, a four-person household falls into these tiers:
- Extremely Low Income (30% AMI): $45,600
- Very Low Income (50% AMI): $76,000
- Low Income (80% AMI): $121,6008U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. FY2025 Adjusted HOME Income Limits
These scale with household size. A single person hits the 30% threshold at $31,950; a household of eight, at $60,200. Section 8 generally prioritizes households at or below 30% of AMI, though vouchers can go to households earning up to 50% and, in limited cases, up to 80%. The Hawaii Relief Program uses a different yardstick — 300% of the Federal Poverty Level — which reaches further up the income scale but requires a dependent child.
Documents to Gather Before You Apply
Requirements vary by program, but pulling this stack together first will save weeks of back-and-forth:
- Government-issued ID (driver’s license, state ID, or passport) for the head of household.
- Income documents — pay stubs, benefit statements, or other proof of income for every household member. If you’re unemployed, bring documentation from the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations showing your status.
- A current lease signed by both you and your landlord, showing the monthly rent and the tenancy dates.
- Your landlord’s full name, mailing address, phone number, and a completed IRS Form W-9. Agencies need the W-9 to issue tax-compliant payments to the landlord.3City and County of Honolulu. Join Us – Rental and Utility Relief Enrollment Event in Makiki for New Applicants
- For utility help: account numbers and documentation of past-due amounts for each utility.
Check that the landlord’s name on the W-9 matches the name on the lease exactly. Mismatches routinely trigger secondary reviews that stall processing. If your landlord is reluctant to complete a W-9 or participate, contact the administering agency; they can often reach out and walk the landlord through it.
How and Where to Apply
For the Hawaii Relief Program, applications go through Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi or the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement. Both accept applications online and periodically host in-person enrollment events around Oahu, which the Department of Community Services announces on its website. For Rent-to-Work and other city programs, contact the Department of Community Services through its WorkHawaiʻi portal.4City and County of Honolulu. WorkHawaiʻi Housing Assistance Programs For Section 8, bookmark the eligibility page and check back; there is nothing to submit while the waitlist is closed.6Department of Community Services. CAD Section 8 Eligibility
Once you submit, you’ll typically get a tracking or confirmation number. A representative will contact both you and your landlord to verify the information you provided. Approved Hawaii Relief Program payments go straight to the landlord or utility. Processing times vary, and demand routinely outstrips available funding, so apply as soon as you know you’re falling behind, not after several missed months.
Eviction Protections That Buy You Time
If you’re already behind and worried about eviction, Hawaiʻi law gives you time to apply. Under Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes Section 521-68, a landlord must give you at least 15 calendar days of written notice before filing an eviction case in court for nonpayment of rent. If the notice is mailed, the 15-day clock starts two days after the postmark date.
That notice must include the outstanding balance owed (minus any payments or rental assistance already received), a statement about whether the landlord has applied for rental assistance, and contact information for a mediation center. The landlord also has to send a copy of the notice to the relevant mediation center, which will reach out to you about scheduling. If mediation is scheduled within the initial 15-day notice period, the landlord must wait a full 30 calendar days before filing in court, and must participate in that mediation.
Many renters don’t know about the mediation requirement. If you receive an eviction notice that doesn’t include the mediation center information or any of the other required details, the notice may be defective — worth raising with a legal aid attorney before your court date.
Free Legal Help and the 211 Helpline
The Legal Aid Society of Hawaiʻi provides free civil legal help to low-income residents, including eviction defense. On Oahu, call 808-536-4302 Monday through Friday during business hours, or submit an online intake form through their website. Walk-in intake is not available, but the organization schedules in-person meetings for active clients when needed.9Legal Aid Society of Hawai’i. Home If you’ve received an eviction notice and can’t afford an attorney, this is your first call.
The Aloha United Way 211 Helpline (dial 2-1-1) is a free, confidential statewide service that connects callers with rental, housing, and utility assistance resources.10Aloha United Way. 211 Hawaiʻi Specialists can help you find options that don’t fit neatly into the programs above, which is especially useful if you’re a single adult without dependents and don’t qualify for the Hawaii Relief Program.
The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement also administers housing-specific programs funded through the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act, including the DHHL Kūpuna Rental Subsidy Program for Native Hawaiian elders.11Hawaiian Council. Rent and Mortgage Relief Funds If you or a family member has Native Hawaiian ancestry, contact CNHA directly to see what’s available beyond the general programs.
Funding on Oahu tends to move in waves. Programs open, get overwhelmed, and pause. Apply early, before you’re multiple months behind, and check back when waitlists are closed; being first in line when a program reopens can be the difference between keeping your housing and losing it.