The Kauai County Housing Agency was formed in May 1976 in recognition of the need to provide housing for low-income households and the elderly and to participate in the federal Housing Assistance Payments Program under Section 8 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974.
Mission Statement: To provide greater opportunities for Kauai's citizens to choose and secure affordable, safe, decent and sanitary housing and to live and work in neighborhoods and communities that can accommodate the needs and desires of all households and individuals.
Agency Goals
- To preserve, maintain and increase the availability of affordable and special needs housing.
- To meed the economic and social needs of Kauai's communities through Housing Agency sponsored programs and partnerships with local, State, Federal governments, and private entities.
Duties & Functions
- The Housing Agency is composed of two divisions, the Housing & Community Development Division and the Rental Assistance Division, plus administrative personnel. The majority of the Housing Agency staff and housing programs are funded from various program of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) sources.
- The Development Division develops affordable housing with government resources, plans and monitors affordable housing with private developers, monitors restrictions on affordable projects, provides research and community education regarding housing needs and solutions, administers the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG), the Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME), Residential Rehabilitation and Home-buyer Loan Programs, various far housing activities, and other related County, State, and federal housing programs.
- The Rental Assistance Division administers the HUD Section 8 Existing Housing Payments Program, where very-low income households obtain help to pay their rent, and the Family Self Sufficiency Program, where volunteer Section 8 clients are counseled to help them become independent from government assistance.