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Hawaii Emergency Financial Assistance Program Ka Wailele

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Oha Expands Emergency Financial Assistance Program For Native Hawaiians

For immediate release. Feb. 1, 2022 
(HONOLULU) – 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 institution that specializes in providing loans to local residents with a focus on native Hawaiians, who cannot qualify at mainstream banks and credit unions. HCL and its sister company, Hawaiian Community Assets, operate four Financial Opportunity Centers on Oʻahu, Maui, Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi Island. 

HCL, as the administrator of the program, conducted community listening sessions to further identity financial needs of native Hawaiians. One such meeting was with the native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Hawai’i COVID-19 Response, Recovery and Resilience team coordinated by Papa Ola Lōkahi. Anecdotal evidence confirmed that living expenses were increasing and transportation, funeral and medical expenses, in particular, were becoming out of reach for some native Hawaiians across the state.  

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“We confirmed with data that applicants needed assistance with transportation to travel to work and school. Unfortunately, at the same time, family deaths and medical expenses directly or indirectly related to COVID-19 were becoming increasingly apparent as a need,” said HCL Executive Director Jeff Gilbreath. 

To address these growing financial needs, HCL and OHA worked collaboratively to expand the dollar amount of program grants and program uses to meet the needs of the native Hawaiian community. 

Assistance with car registration costs will be ineligible and assistance limited to vehicle repairs and maintenance only. Funeral costs are limited to mortuary costs – casket, embalming, cremation, funeral service – as well as help with food and flower arrangement costs for funerals. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted our people and it is our hope that this emergency financial assistance from OHA can help ease some of the stress that our native Hawaiian ‘ohana have experienced,” said OHA CEO/Ka Pouhana Dr. Sylvia Hussey. “We also mahalo HCL as an outstanding community partner as they work tirelessly to serve our native Hawaiian beneficiaries.”  

native Hawaiians who are at least 18 years old and in financial hardship should review program requirements and apply. No income requirements pertain but native Hawaiians are limited in receiving OHA emergency financial assistance to one grant every two years. 

HCL will process applications, and payments will be made directly to landlords, mortgage lenders, utility providers, car repair shops, medical providers, or funeral homes. Approved applicants will also have access to financial counseling, additional grants or affordable loans, and career coaching through Financial Opportunity Centers run by HCL’s parent corporation, Hawaiian Community Assets. 

native Hawaiians in financial hardship should apply online at www.oha.org/emergencyaid  or  www.kawailele.org. Persons without internet access or a computer are encouraged to call HCL at 808-587-7656 to request a paper application or complete an application over the phone.  

In-person assistance will be available at Financial Opportunity Centers and remote offices statewide. 

Ka Wailele Program Requirements  

To qualify for Ka Wailele grants starting Feb. 1, applicants must meet the following qualifications: 

  • Be native Hawaiian residing in Hawaiʻi; 
  • At least 18 years old; 
  • Be in financial hardship; and 
  • Have documents to prove past due rent, mortgage, utilities, rental deposit, car repairs, funeral or medical expenses 

Required Documents  

native Hawaiian applicants will be required to submit the following documents with their applications to be considered for OHA’s Ka Wailele grants: 

Proof of Age and Hawaiʻi Residency  

  • Copy of Picture ID 

Native Hawaiian Verification (One of the following)  

  • Copy of Birth Certificate 
  • OHA Hawaiian Registry Card 
  • Department of Hawaiian Home Lands Lease 
  • Kamehameha Schools Hoʻoulu Registry 

Proof of Financial Hardship (One of the following)  

  • Unemployment or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) approval letter 
  • Letter from employer verifying you have been laid off or lost hours at work 
  • Pay stubs prior to loss of income and current pay stubs 
  • Business bank statements prior to loss of income and current income (if self-employed) 

Housing (One of the following)  

  • Complete, signed, dated rental lease 
  • Mortgage statement 

Assistance Needed (One of the following)  

  • Past due rent – past due rent or eviction notice with amount owed 
  • Past due utilities – past due utility or disconnection notice with amount owed OR bill from utility service (i.e., water delivery) 
  • Past due mortgage – mortgage statement with past due amount 
  • Car repair – estimate(s) for repairs within 30 days of application; proof of ownership  
  • Funeral – estimate(s) from third party vendor(s) within six months of application; death certificate or obituary notice indicating death within six months of application; proof of relationship to deceased 
  • Medical – bill within three months of application that indicates out-of-pocket expense OR estimate for procedure/treatment scheduled to occur within one month of application or reasonable timeframe 

APPLICATIONS ARE NO LONGER BEING ACCEPTED. SEE BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Funding from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs is coming to an end and a new emergency assistance provider will be contracted.

 Here are important dates we want you to know about:

• June 30, 2022 – New applications will no longer be accepted and the new application portal closed.

• July 1, 2022 – OHA will be collecting contact information for all interested applicants after June 30, 2022. Click here to submit your information: www.oha.org/oha-emergency-financial-assistance/

• July 15, 2022 – If you have a pending/incomplete application, after July 15th, all pending/incomplete applications will need to reapply for funding. Please click on the link above to submit your contact information or contact OHA at 808-594-1835.

• July 31, 2022 – Last day to approve and send out emergency grant funding.

Please note that funding will be disbursed on a first-come, first-serve basis.

• After July 31st – Office of Hawaiian Affairs will transfer
administration to the program to another organization and maintain communication with you on next steps to obtain emergency grant funds.

Oʻahu
200 N Vineyard Boulevard, Suite B140 Honolulu, HI 96817
808-587-7886

Maui
24 N Church Street, Suite 210 Wailuku, HI 96793
808-727-8870

Molokaʻi /Lānaʻi (Remote Site)
University of Hawaii Molokaʻi Education Center
375 Kamehameha V Highway Kaunakakai, HI 96748
808-553-4490, ext. 6
Open Mon & Wed, 8:30a to 4:30p

East Hawaiʻi
1315 Kalanianaʻole Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720
808-934-0801

West Hawaiʻi (Remote Site)
La’i’ōpua 2020, 74-5210 Keanalehu Drive, Kailua Kona, HI 9674
808-587-7656 (requires the (808) to be dialed)
Open Mon-Fri, 9a-4p

Kauaʻi
2600 Kaumualii Highway, Suite E-12, Lihue, HI 96766
808-784-3841

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About the Office of Hawaiian Affairs: 

Established by the state Constitutional Convention in 1978, OHA is a semi-autonomous state agency mandated to better the conditions of native Hawaiians. Guided by a board of nine publicly elected trustees, OHA fulfills its mandate through public outreach, research, community engagement, land management and the funding of community programs. Learn more at www.oha.org. 


Contact: Ed Kalama Ka Punawai
Communications Strategist
Office of Hawaiian Affairs
560 N Nimitz Hwy
Suite #200
808-594-1925
808-725-1958 (cell)

About Chanel Josiah

Chanel was born and raised on Oʻahu and now resides on Kaua’i with her husband and seven children. As a 5th-generation Hawaiian Home Lands lessee and homeowner, she has firsthand knowledge of the challenges families face in accessing housing, financial opportunities and resources both on and off homesteads. Her lived experiences and professional expertise inspire her passion for supporting others and strengthen her commitment to helping local and native Hawaiian families secure and sustain homes on their ancestral ‘āina, building lasting stability for themselves and generations to come.

Chanel also serves as the Board President of Pa‘a Lima, a nonprofit organization that offers support services and education to address houselessness, mental health challenges, financial literacy, and income instability. The organization is committed to breaking generational cycles and changing lives, with a special emphasis on supporting youth aging out of foster care.

As Operations Director, Chanel oversees marketing, community engagement, technical assistance, and operations. A key aspect of her role is connecting directly with communities to understand their needs and challenges. Drawing on her personal and professional experiences, Chanel approaches these challenges holistically, blending diverse perspectives to create innovative strategies that drive meaningful and lasting change for the communities she serves. “I’m grateful to be able to share our organization’s moʻomeheu (culture), moʻolelo (story) and kaunu (passion) with communities across Hawaiʻi, partners and investors who believe in the work we do.”

Chanel is inspired by her keiki, motivating her dedication to ensuring they can build their futures here in Hawai’i. She is also inspired by her tūtū kāne, Robert William Kalanihiapo Wilcox. “He was a fearless kānaka ‘ōiwi champion who encompassed the spirit of aloha ‘āina – the love of his land, and home just as we do now.” Outside of work, Chanel enjoys reading, practicing hula, and spending time at the beach with her ʻohana.

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About Aikū’ē Kalima

Aikū’ē Kalima, former Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan Fund Manager for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, joins Hawaiʻi Community Lending as its lending director.
Kalima comes to HCL with more than 25 years of experience in community development and mortgage lending. In his new position, Kalima will direct HCL’s consumer, construction, mortgage and small business lending.
“As a native Hawaiian and Hawaiian Home Lands beneficiary, I understand the financial needs for economic development and quality housing for kānaka is great,” said Kalima, who led OHA’s deployment of $9.8 million in loans to 286 native Hawaiians statewide over the last five years. “For over 25 years, I have worked tirelessly at the grassroots level, educating kānaka on the skills necessary to achieve the dream of homeownership and providing resources to achieve financial sustainability. I plan to continue serving the lāhui empowering ‘ohana and communities as the lending director for Hawai‘i Community Lending.”
Kalima takes the reins of HCL’s $16-million revolving loan fund and will oversee a team of seven staff members statewide. “HCL is honored to have Aikū’ē join us in our mission to help tackle our housing crisis by funding native Hawaiian and local families to build, buy and save homes from foreclosure,” said HCL Executive Director Jeff Gilbreath. “He has proven leadership in both the public and private sectors and has the passion to get families on the land through homeownership.”

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About Sean

Sean Perez loves hearing about the great things Hawai‘i Community Lending is doing for the Hawaiian community. And now as HCL’s new director of finance, he is excited to be part of the team making it happen.

“I enjoy hearing the success stories of new homes that we will soon be building and finding for these families,” he says. “HCL’s mission resonates well with me and my passion to help others and assist our community.”

To this end, Sean will manage HCL’s finances, accounting, compliance, and information technology matters; working with HCL Executive Director Jeff Gilbreath and supervising three division managers. He comes to HCL with over eight years of experience in financial management in the nonprofit and private, for-profit sectors having worked in the legal, social service, health, and telecommunications industries as well as with the US Attorney’s Office of Guam and CNMI. In his previous job as director of operations for the Hawai‘i State Bar Association where he was responsible for directing the organization’s finances, Sean grew his experience in nonprofit financial management and gained extensive background in accounting, grants management, IT and human resources. These skills, in conjunction with his drive to work with the Hawai‘i community through nonprofit assistance, led Sean to HCL.

Currently living in Honolulu, Sean was born in Tamuning, Guam. When he was 10 years old, he moved to Oxnard, Calif., where he attended school and eventually community college. The Air Force Reserves beckoned him after graduation, leading him to serve three and a half years as an aircrew flight equipment technician at March Air Reserve Base. After his military service, Sean returned to his childhood home of Guam, where he went to college to obtain a degree in finance and economics, and then to pursue an MBA.

On O‘ahu, Sean enjoys family life with his fiancée and toddler son; fishing and surfing in his time off. “I look forward to accomplishing great things with HCL and creating new success stories,” he says.

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About Nikki

Nikki Hollern is a mother of five, born and raised in Upcountry Maui, but she spent the last 15 years in the beautiful town of Lahaina. Lahaina stole her heart, with the people and the town being unlike any other. After the fire, her family had to relocate to Kahului.

Her heart remains in Lahaina, and her goal is to help this amazing community get back to where they belong. She feels blessed to have the opportunity to be part of the HCL ‘ohana, helping navigate this incredibly hard time and hopefully serving as a guiding light to assist the community in returning home and coming back even stronger.

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