Yesterday, the Hawaiʻi County Office of Housing and Community Development announced a $3,000 sign-on bonus for Hawaiʻi Island Landlords taking part in select housing assistance programs.

As of April 17, Landlords who partner with the Office may be eligible to receive a one-time $3,000 incentive payment when renting with a one-year lease to Emergency Housing, Veteran, Non-Elderly and Disabled, or Foster Young Adult voucher holders. Property owners with multiple open units could receive $3,000 per unit.

By offering the sign-on bonus, the Office hopes to increase the number of Landlords on Hawaiʻi Island participating in the program to provide more housing opportunities for participants holding vouchers.

According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s most recent “The Gap” report issued last month, in 2021 Hawaiʻi had 89 affordable and available homes per 100 renter households earning at or below 100% Area Median Income (AMI). For low-income renter households, those earning at or below 80% AMI, there were just 74 units per 100 households. The figure drops to 34 units per 100 households at or below 30% AMI.

This 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. In any given month, up to 100 participants who’ve received a voucher are searching for a safe place to call home.

The Landlord Incentive Program will end upon the depletion of available of federal funding. Full program details can be found at www.hawaiicounty.gov/landlords.

Interested Landlords are also encouraged to sign-up for the Office’s New Landlord Orientation set scheduled to take place in Hilo on May 24, 2023.

For more information, visit www.hawaiicounty.gov/landlords,email landlord.housing@hawaiicounty.gov or call the Existing Housing Division at (808) 959-4642, ext. 1904.