The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) Board of Trustees today approved $6.1 million in emergency funding for Native Hawaiian beneficiaries impacted by the shutdown of the federal government and the potential suspension of SNAP benefits on November 1.
“These are unsettling times, and our beneficiaries are feeling it most,” said OHA Board of Trustees Chairperson Kaialiʻi Kahele. “Families are missing paychecks, losing benefits, and facing impossible choices about how to feed their ʻohana. OHA will not wait on the sidelines — we are taking immediate action to help our people through this crisis.”
The OHA Board, meeting in emergency session today, directed the administration to work out details of the benefits program, including determining eligibility requirements and potential partnerships.
OHA Interim Administrator Summer Sylva said, “Together, we will develop a program that models Native Hawaiian governance and leadership at its best — collective, courageous, and compassionate. In this time of uncertainty, OHA is stepping forward to take care of our people, because that’s exactly what this trust was created to do.”
Sylva will report back to the Board of Trustees at its meeting scheduled for November 6 in Hilo.
Estimates are that more than 47,000 Native Hawaiians receive SNAP benefits. The average monthly SNAP benefit amount in Hawaiʻi is about $409 per person and $757 per household.
Hawaiʻi is home to approximately 24,600 civilian federal employees. While the precise number of Native Hawaiians within that workforce is not known, estimates place it at just under five thousand.
More details on OHA’s $6.1 million dollar emergency funding program, who qualifies, and how benefits will be distributed will be announced no later than early November.
