County of Hawaii, Office of Housing

Instructions

ALL APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED BY THE GENERAL PUBLIC BEFORE 9:00 AM HST AUGUST 1, 2025 ARE INVALID AND WILL BE DELETED.

 

Waiting List Opening

The County of Hawai’i - Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD) will open the Waiting List for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Section 8 program:

 

AUGUST 1, 2025, 9:00 AM HST

(Waiting List will remain open until further notice)

 

There is no cost to apply. Only one application per family allowed on the waiting list.

 

If you have a disability or a barrier to completing the online application, you may request a reasonable accommodation by contacting OHCD at (808) 959-4642.

 

Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program

OHCD administers the Housing Choice Voucher Program with federal funds received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and provides rental assistance to eligible families, including elderly and disabled to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market.

 

An eligible family is responsible for finding a suitable rental where the owner agrees to participate in the program. The OHCD pays a housing subsidy directly to a landlord on behalf of the participating family. The chosen rental must meet federal health and safety standards as well as local housing requirements. The family is responsible for paying the difference between the approved contract rent charged by the landlord and the amount subsidized by the program.

 

Eligibility

The OHCD determines eligibility based on the total gross household income and family size. Eligibility is limited to US citizens and specific categories of non-citizens with eligible immigration status. In general, a household’s income may not exceed 80 percent of the median income for Hawaii County. In accordance with federal regulations, OHCD must provide 75 percent of its vouchers to applicants whose income do not exceed 30 percent of the area median income.

 

2025 HCV Income Limits

(Effective 4/1/2025 - 3/31/2026)

Area Median Family Income (AMI) $98,800

Gross Annual Income must be at or below:

Number of Household Members

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Extremely Low (30% of Median)

$25,400

$29,000

$32,650

$36,980

$43,310

$49,640

$55,970

$62,300

Very Low

(50% of Median)

$42,350

$48,400

$54,450

$60,450

$65,300

$70,150

$75,000

$79,800

Low Income (80% of Median)

$67,700

$77,400

$87,050

$96,700

$104,450

$112,200

$119,950

$127,650

 

Waiting List

The date and time an application is submitted determines it’s placement on the waiting list, taking into consideration Local Preferences below.

 

Local Preferences (refer to Chapter 4 of our Administrative Plan effective June 1, 2025) The following is the priority order of local preferences for selection from the waiting list:

- Any resident family of the County of Hawaii whose gross annual income is at or below 30%, has at least one (1) minor child under the age of 18 and/or who include an elderly person or a person with a disability, and a valid lease agreement with a landlord that agrees to participate in the HCV program will be given the highest priority.

 

- The following categories will be treated equally with the highest priority:

• Applicants who are experiencing an emergency, (homeless or involuntarily displaced),

• Families whose assistance had been terminated from its HCV program due to insufficient funding, and

• Specific special purpose voucher participants who qualify to “move up”.

 

- Next, any resident family of the State or County of Hawaii whose gross annual income is at or below 30%, has at least one (1) minor child under the age of 18 and/or who include an elderly person or a person with a disability.

 

OHCD will verify all claimed local preferences. Families who qualify for a local preference will receive priority on the waiting list over those who do not meet the specified criteria.

 

Application Process

You will be required to provide an e-mail address.

Only one (1) application per household will be accepted starting August 1, 2025.  (Other adults in your household will not be able to apply separately.)

You may use any computer or smartphone with Internet Access.  Someone else may apply for you if you need help using a computer and many public libraries offer free computer access.

After you have successfully applied, you will receive a receipt with a confirmation number and instructions for checking your application status online at www.waitlistcheck.com.

Written authorization from the family is required from the family to collect information.  The information will be verified and used to establish eligibility and level of assistance.  Below lists required information and forms of acceptable verification.

 

Verification of Family Information

Social Security Number

Legal Identity Adult and Minors

Verification of Disability

Assets:

Bank Accounts

Life Insurance

Real Property

Retirement Accounts

Income:

Employment

Social Security Benefits

Welfare Benefits

Veterans Benefits

Self-Employment

Unemployment Benefits

Child Support or Alimony

Regular Contributions

Pension

Rental Income

Zero Income Families

 

For questions about the application process the County of Hawaii, Office of Housing and Community Development is open Monday through Friday (except holidays) between the hours of 7:45 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. phone (808) 959-4642 or email sec8waitlist@hawaiicounty.gov.