HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The waitlist for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HVC) program is now open.
The program provides rental assistance to eligible households with funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The program isn’t just for low income housing, Director of the Department of Community Services Anton Krucky said the voucher can be used toward any rental property.
“If you apply and you qualify then you would use this voucher. If the landlord accepts vouchers, then you would be able to pay just 30% of your adjusted income and the rest would be paid by the voucher,” Krucky said.
Applicants must meet the 2025 income limits and fall within the definition of a family. The program is for households at or below the very low income limits set by the HUD (50% of the median income for Honolulu).
“The trigger is your income. It starts with a family of one, a little over $50,000 and then it goes up for how many people you have in the family,” Krucky said.
FY 2025 income limits(U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD))
The HUD received an additional $10 million in federal funding for the current fiscal year, which allowed the department to finish the current waitlist and open the housing earlier than previously anticipated.
The application window opened Monday, July 14, at 7:45 a.m. HST but does not run on a first-come, first-served basis.
HUD is offering classes on how to navigate the application process in six different languages ranging from Cantonese, to Korean, to Vietnamese.
The application portal closes Friday, July 18.
All applicants should have the following information ready before filling out a Section 8 Pre-Application:
- Social Security Numbers for All Household Members
- Household Members’ Gross Incomes and Names of Employers
- Household Members’ Cash Value of Assets and Annual Income Received from them (Example: Checking and/or Savings Accounts, Stocks, Bonds, CDs, Investments, Real Estate, etc.)
- Household Members’ Date of Birth
- Some “Yes” or “No” questions will be asked regarding Public Assistance history and Criminal history for Adult Members of the Household
- Emergency Contact Information (Optional)
- Working Email address (Form allows you to create free Gmail account)
Applicants who don’t have internet access can either visit the HUD office located on the first floor at 842 Bethel Street, or visit public libraries to apply online and receive assistance.
HUD will select about 3,000 households from the applicant pool by mid-August. Only one application will be allowed per household and there is no guarantee for eligibility or housing assistance after applying.
More information and the link to the application can be found on the City and County of Honolulu’s website.
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