Hawaiʻi Community Lending (HCL) and Hawaiian Community Assets (HCA), two local nonprofits committed to housing stability and financial empowerment, announced a joint effort to provide loan relief options and emergency financial counseling to support workers recently laid off by the federal government or impacted by federal funding cuts across the state.
According to the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization’s (UHERO) recent forecast, more than 2,200 federal worker layoffs and an estimated 1,200 additional layoffs are expected across Hawaiʻi due to government downsizing and cuts to federal programs, signaling significant impacts for local families already facing rising costs of food, housing, healthcare and education.
To support those affected, HCL is offering relief options for current borrowers who have lost employment or income and can provide proof of financial hardship:
- Refinance: May be available to borrowers who have made 12 months of on-time payments on their HCL loan to help lower monthly payments.
- Forbearance: Pause payments on HCL loans for up to 12 months.
- Temporary Interest-Only Payments: Make interest-only payments for up to 12 months.
- Loan Modification: Adjust loan terms to reduce monthly payments.
In partnership, HCA will provide emergency financial counseling to all laid-off federal workers and those impacted by federal funding cuts, including HCL borrowers, to help them:
- Create emergency household budgets
- Access benefits and public assistance
- Receive referrals for rental support, SNAP, and healthcare
- Prepare for long-term financial stability
Eligible beneficiaries will also receive support in applying for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) Emergency Financial Assistance Program, expected to open this month.
“We want our workers and working families in Hawaiʻi to know we see them. We understand the impact layoffs and funding cuts can have on our families and the uncertainty it creates when it comes to paying for food, housing, and healthcare,” said HCL Executive Director Jeff Gilbreath and HCA Executive Director Chelsie Evans in a joint statement. “These layoffs and disinvestment of federal funds are a crisis — and we hope our support provides relief to those experiencing this sudden financial hardship.”
In the coming weeks, HCL and HCA will also release a series of educational videos to help community members understand their rights and options when facing financial instability, including tools to prevent foreclosure. These resources will be available on the HCL and HCA websites and social media platforms.
New Job Opportunities
HCL and HCA encourage laid-off federal workers and those impacted by federal funding cuts to explore employment opportunities with the State of Hawaiʻi and Counties:
• State of Hawaiʻi – Operation Hire Hawaiʻi
• City & County of Honolulu – Federal-to-Municipal Workforce Timeline
• County of Maui – County Jobs
• County of Hawaiʻi – County Jobs
• County of Kauaʻi – County Jobs
For more information or to request support, visit: HawaiiCommunityLending.com | HawaiianCommunity.net
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