EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (ERAP) 

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The Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) is funded by the County of Hawaiʻi through federal funding and will provide rent and utility grants to an estimated 3,400 households that income qualify and can prove hardship due to COVID-19 for each month they receive assistance from March 2020 to December 2021. Funding will be limited to households' primary residence on Hawaiʻi Island. Households will be limited to 12 months of total grant assistance.
ERAP Qualifications
To qualify for rent or utility assistance grants starting April 12th, applicants  must meet the following qualifications:

• Be a Hawai'i Island resident

• At least 18 years old

• Experience financial hardship due to COVID-19, and

• 2020 or current annual gross household income at or below 80% of area median income for the number of members in their household.   

ERAP will give priority to households at or below 50% of area median income with household members who have been unemployed for 90 days preceding the date of the application. An estimated 75% of all funding will go to households at this income level.
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Required Documents
Applicants will be required to submit the following documents with their applications starting April 12th to be considered for rent or utility assistance: 
Proof of Resident and Age for Applicant

• Copy of photo ID  

Income Documents for ALL household members (provide all that apply)

• 1040 Federal Tax Form for 2020

OR

• 30 days most recent pay stubs

• 2 months most recent business bank statements (if self-employed)

• Unemployment or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefit letter

• Public benefit statements

Housing

• Copy of rental lease/contract

Proof of Hardship (provide 1 of the following)

• 30 days of paystubs for February 2020

• Unemployment or PUA approval letter

• Letter from employer verifying job loss or reduced work hours

• Business bank statements for January and February 2020 (if self-employed)

Housing Assistance Need (provide 1 of the following)

• Past due rent notice

• Eviction notice

• Past due utility notice

The Hawaiʻi County ERAP will be led by local nonprofit community development financial institution, Hawaiʻi Community Lending. Habitat for Humanity Hawaii Island is one of six nonprofit partners that will process applications and payments will be made directly to landlords, property managers, or utility providers.  Approved applicants will also have access to financial counseling and other housing stability services.  Other nonprofit partners include:

·       HOPE Services Hawaiʻi (HOPE)
·       Hawaiʻi First Federal Credit Union (HFFCU)
·       Neighborhood Place of Puna (NPP)
·       The Salvation Army (TSA)
·       Hawaiʻi County Economic Opportunity Council (HCEOC)

If you have any questions, please email our ERAP team at rmap@habitathawaiiisland.org or call (808)843-0071.

Assistance is available in the following languages: Ilokano, Marshallese, Tagalog, Spanish, Chamorro, Samoan, Hawaiian, Russian.

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