HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022 Fall OHCD NewsletterIt is a common misconception that the Existing Housing Division
conducts an Inspection in place of a Landlord/Property Manager
Inspection. Our agency administers the Housing Choice Voucher
program through the United States Department of Housing and
Urban Development which requires our housing authority to
conduct new and annual/biennial Housing Quality Standards
(HQS) Inspections. Our office determines if a home, apartment
or duplex meets housing quality standards. Landlords/Property
Managers should conduct their own periodic inspections at their
rentals to ensure that tenants are abiding by the lease
agreement terms and taking good care of the unit.
Office of Housing
and Community Development
Newsletter
Our Landlord Incentive Program for
Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHV)
began on June 13, 2022. The current
shortage of affordable rental housing
units makes it difficult for voucher
recipients to find or keep an
affordable housing rental unit in
Hawai’i County. The EHV Landlord
Incentive Program utilizes funds from
the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
to increase the supply of available
affordable housing rental units for
the Emergency Housing Voucher
(EHV) program. This pilot program is
restricted to the EHV program and
may not be used for any other
funded rental assistance program.
The program will end on 12/31/22 or
earlier upon the depletion of the
available funding. If you are a
landlord, have a vacant rental, and
would like more information about
our $2,000 EHV Landlord Incentive
program, please email
landlord.housing@hawaiicounty.gov.
Warm regards,
Susan Kunz
Fall 2022- Issue 2
Message from our
Housing
Administrator
County Housing Inspection vs
Landlord/Property Manager Inspection
Stay Connected @hawaiicounty.officeofhousing
More extensive Tenant Education
We've been working diligently to constantly improve and update
our Tenant Education and Briefing sessions. We now require a 2
hour Tenant Education and Briefing session to be completed
upon receiving a new housing voucher. This includes an overview
of how the housing voucher program works, how we calculate
affordable family limits, how to look for a rental, Fair Housing, how
to take good care of the rental, housekeeping, program rules and
family obligations such as: Tenant must report income changes
and household changes within 30 days, & Tenant must pay their
portion to landlord on time. Landlords should report to our office
any serious or repeated lease violations that includes: late or
non-payment of tenant portion which is a program violation.
Landlords may email violations to sec8info@hawaiicounty.gov.
Hawai'i County Housing Waiting List Set to Open
From Monday, Sept. 19, 2022 at 9am and closing on Monday, Oct
3, 2022 at 4pm for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) rentalassistance program. Online application can be found by visiting:
https://www.hawaiicounty.gov/i-want-to/apply-for-a-an
Then click: "Housing Program Waiting List" (applicants will bedirected to an external site). If applicants need help filling out anapplication in person, they may call (808)959-4642.
Fall 2022
Stay Connected @hawaiicounty.officeofhousing
County of Hawai'i
Office of Housing and Community Development
Website: www.hawaiicounty.gov/departments/office-of-housing
As a part of our Landlord
Engagement Program, Landlords,
Property Managers and Housing
Navigators have the opportunity to
learn more about the $2,000 EHV
Landlord Incentive, Housing Quality
Standards (HQS) Inspections, Fair
Housing, and various Community
Engagement Programs through
partnerships.
We also take a deeper dive
reviewing the Housing Assistance
Payments (HAP) Contract, how to
become a participating landlord,
must not collect any utilities or rent
on the side, and other frequently
asked questions that new and
existing landlords may have.
Thinking about becoming a
participating landlord, or know
someone that should?
For more info & video on "How the
Housing Voucher Program works with
Landlords & Benefits" visit:
https://linktr.ee/ohcd
Refer a landlord today:
landlord.housing@hawaiicounty.gov
Now offering
Landlord Sessions
& New Landlord
Orientation
OHCD administers four types of special purpose housing vouchers
in addition to the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) & Public Housing
Voucher (PBV). Foster Youth to Independence Initiative (FYI)
program is for youth that have recently or soon to leave foster care,
between the ages of 18-24, or are houseless, or at risk of becoming
houseless at age 16 and older. Supportive services to self-
sufficiency provided by external organizations. Veterans Affairs
Supportive Housing (VASH) program is for houseless Veterans and
includes case management and clinical services. Mainstream (MS)
for non-elderly disabled persons 18-61 years old and their families.
Waitlist preference for persons transitioning out of institutional
settings, houseless, or at risk. Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHV)
referred if houseless, at-risk of houselessness, fleeing or attempting
to flee domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking or
human trafficking, or high risk of housing instability.
The FREE Landlord Tenant Mediation Program can help you negotiate
payment plans for back rent, plans for rent going forward, applying
for rental assistance together, new terms to prevent eviction, move
out options, security deposit return, and other agreements that
support the needs of both renters and owners. Contact one of
Hawai'i County's two non-profit community mediation centers for
help!
East Hawai'i: (808) 935-7844 x 8 West Hawai'i: (808) 885-5525
https://hawaiimediation.org/ https://whmediation.org/
Fall 2022 - Issue 2
Special Purpose Housing Vouchers targetsspecific populations
FREE Landlord Tenant Mediation Program
November 8 - Election Day November 11 - Veterans Day
November 24 - Thanksgiving December 26 - Christmas Day (observed)
Upcoming Office Closures
Hurricane Readiness Resource Fair Recap
Hurricane season in Hawai'i occurs roughly between June 1 and
November 30. The Office of Housing and Community Development
in partnership with the Hawai'i County Civil Defense hosted resource
fairs during the month of July with speakers from Civil Defense,
Office of Aging, Hawaiian Electric Company & National Weather
Service/Central Pacific Hurricane Center. You can never be more
prepared ahead of time to lessen the worry. Develop a family and
business emergency plan and prepare a home survival kit.
Learn more - Hurricane Preparedness Guide:
https://files.hawaii.gov/dhs/main/Internal/Disaster/HurricanePreparednessGuide.pdf