City’s Rental and Utility Relief Program will temporarily reopen on October 3
O‘AHU – To help keep eligible renters on Oʻahu safely housed this fall, the Rental and Utility Relief Program (RURP) will temporarily reopen for 8,000 new applications on October 3 at 2 p.m., at oneoahu.org/renthelp.
“As we try to move on from COVID, we need to make sure that those whose lives were disrupted the most have the resources they need to get back on their feet,” said Mayor Rick Blangiardi. “The Rental and Utility Relief Program will continue to support qualified Oʻahu renters and prevent evictions this year with short-term financial help and with access to long-term housing stabilization services.”
The Program is prioritizing new applicants and renters should apply only once. Duplicate applications will reduce the number of renters who receive help and slow down processing.
Renters who have received less than 18 months of support from RURP can also request additional funds directly from Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi (CCH) at rurp.recert@catholiccharitieshawaii.org or the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) at RURP@hawaiiancouncil.org, on or after October 3.
Renters in RURP should not reapply at oneoahu.org/renthelp and should not reach out to CCH or CNHA to recertify before October 3. Requests for recertification received before October 3 at 2 p.m. may not be honored.
As part of the City’s housing strategy, CCH and CNHA will provide housing stability services to eligible households in RURP to help them stay in their homes for the long term. These services include eviction diversion, case management, money management skills, referrals to job training and job placement, and other programs.
New applications and re-certifications will initially be funded with new Emergency Rental Assistance money from the U.S. Department of Treasury, then with $31 million in State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds from the City and County of Honolulu.
The Program has helped nearly 15,000 Oʻahu families and distributed close to $190 million since starting in April 2021.
Renters are encouraged to review eligibility information in the FAQ at oneoahu.org/renthelp. They can also call (808) 768-CITY (2489) with questions. The City’s call center is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. On October 3, the call center will be open until 5:30 p.m. to help applicants.
—PAU—
