Papa-ola-lokahi

OHA expands emergency financial assistance program for Native Hawaiians

HONOLULU (Feb. 1, 2022) - Beginning Feb. 1, 2022, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs will expand the assistance available to Native Hawaiians through its Ka Wailele Emergency Financial Assistance Program. In addition to mortgage, rental and utility support, the Ka Wailele program will now be offering relief for car repairs, funeral expenses, and out-of-pocket medical expenses. Maximum awards will also be increased from $1,500 to $2,000.  In June 2021, OHA announced that it was making $1,044,253 available to implement an emergency financial assistance program for Native Hawaiians. The Ka Wailele program is being administered by Hawaiʻi Community Lending (HCL), a nonprofit U.S. Treasury-certified community development financial…