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HCHA meeting September 7, 2021 <br />now we're offering rent and utility payments, rental deposits and payments of <br />temporary hotel and motel stays and this can happen, these payments can <br />happen between March 2020 and end in December, the first traunch of funds <br />not to exceed 15 months assistance. The temporary hotel and motel stays, I will <br />tell you, these are for folks who have been evicted or homeless as a result of <br />persons coming back to live in their property as homeowners or property owners <br />are coming back to live in or selling the property, (inaudible) buyers in particular <br />and so these temporary hotel and motel stays have been critical to keep our <br />families housed at this time as housing navigators work to find something more <br />permanent and there's great support on that but happy to take more questions <br />as they come. They also opened up the rules so that you don't have to be <br />directly impacted by COVID you now can be indirectly impacted by COVID, in <br />our estimate everybody on this call is potentially impacted indirectly by COVID <br />and so that opened the door, to say okay if you're alone come rent on Hawai `i <br />Island you can qualify for assistance. Sharon, if you could continue. In terms of <br />key points that you folks should know, as you go out sharing in your communities <br />and with your constituents, these are only for primary residence, so folks have to <br />be a resident and renting on Hawai `i Island, they have to be low income so 80% <br />AMI and down and they have to provide proof of hardship whether that's due <br />to COVID with an unemployment letter or PUA approval letter or other financial <br />hardship which they can attest too in writing which is allowed by the federal <br />government and payments are going directly to landlords, property managers, <br />utility companies to make sure those dollars flow. Sharon if you could continue. <br />We have just recently, again, the federal government changes some rules, <br />provide some more funds, we move and so work real closely with Sharon and <br />her team and non -profits here locally to get housing stability services up and <br />running so there's some exciting things happening folks. We will be, we've gone <br />through contract modifications, we've added in partners through Legal Aid <br />Society is now a partner, they will providing legal service to make sure we have <br />enough capacity on island to address that need, we're also adding in Vibrant <br />Hawai `i to have community navigators who will help get word out, not just <br />about our program but all the programs you'll be hearing about today and <br />other who provide financial assistance so there can be that personal touch, that <br />trust built, out in hard to reach communities in particular. They will be financial <br />counseling through the Financial Empowerment Centers, making sure families <br />have the emergency budget to whether this storm. We'll have additional <br />housing navigators on island, Neighborhood Place of Puna and HOPE Services, <br />we have a contingency fund that if folks do end up staying at a hotel or motel <br />stay for some time and there's damage beyond normal wear and tear of a <br />hotel stay, we can help make hotels and motels whole on that damage to <br />make sure we're a good partner and to make sure they open these units not just <br />because of this crisis but potentially for those for the future. And then lastly, <br />making sure that we have a pot of funds for additional deposits for families that <br />are low income and maybe need to compete in the marketplace which is really <br />Page 21 of 34 <br />