NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED

RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE

CERTIFICATION OF AFFORDABLE ADDITIONAL RENTAL UNITS

COUNTY OF KAUA‘I HOUSING AGENCY

Pursuant to Section 91-3, Hawai‘i Revised Statutes, notice is hereby given that the Housing Agency of the County of Kaua‘i will hold a public hearing and receive public testimony and comments from all interested persons regarding proposed Rules and Regulations Governing the Certification of Affordable Additional Rental Units.

The Housing Agency is proposing to adopt these rules and regulations for the purpose of establishing the requirements and procedures for Owners to certify Additional Rental Units as affordable, in order to qualify for various permit waivers, usage fee waivers, and subsidies, as provided for in the Kauai County Code.

Pursuant to Governor David Ige’s Thirteenth Proclamation Related to the Covid-19 Emergency issued on September 22, 2020, this public hearing shall be conducted by video teleconference.           

The public hearing shall be held on the following date and time:

Monday, November 30, 2020

9:00 a.m.

By Audio Teleconference at:

1-469-848-0234, Conference ID: 282 990 9#

All interested persons may submit data, views, arguments, or other testimony orally or in writing, or both, concerning the proposed rules and regulations. Testimony may be submitted any time up to and including the date of the public hearing, or at the public hearing itself. Persons who wish to present oral testimony may do so via the Microsoft Teams audio conferencing platform by calling the number above, or via the Microsoft Teams video conferencing platform. If you wish to participate via video teleconference, it shall be the responsibility of the testifier to ensure that the Microsoft Teams software is downloaded prior to the hearing. Anyone interested in providing oral testimony by video teleconference must register with the Housing Agency at least one (1) hour prior to the hearing by sending an email to housing@kauai.gov or by calling (808) 241-4444, and providing your name, telephone number, and E-mail address. A link to the video teleconference will be emailed to you following your registration. Advance registration is not required if you wish to participate by audio conference only. Written testimony may be submitted to the Housing Agency by e-mail to housing@kauai.gov, by facsimile to (808) 241-5118, or by U.S. mail to the Housing Agency, whose address is: County of Kaua‘i Housing Agency, 4444 Rice Street, Suite 330, Lihu‘e, HI 96766.

The proposed rules and regulations are available to view here: Proposed Rules Governing ARU Affordability October 2020 Due to the COVID-19 Emergency and pursuant to Governor David Ige’s Thirteenth Proclamation Related to the Covid-19 Emergency, in person reviewing will not be provided.

A copy of the proposed rules will be mailed to any interested person who requests a copy and pays the required fees for the copy and the postage. Requests may be made by calling the Housing Agency at 241-4444 or mailing a request to the Housing Agency at 4444 Rice Street, Suite 330, Līhu‘e, HI  96766.

BY ORDER OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSING AGENCY OF THE COUNTY OF KAUA‘I

Adam P. Roversi

PUBLIC NOTICE

KAUAI COUNTY HOUSING AGENCY

COUNTY OF KAUAI

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Kauai County Housing Agency (KCHA), pursuant to Chapter 17 of its Administrative Plan and Federal regulations at 24 CFR 983 announces the solicitation to interested and qualified housing developers or development owners to apply for the Project-Based Voucher (PBV) Program. The PBV Program is a component of the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program funded by the US Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD). Like HCV, PBV provides federal rental assistance subsidies to income-qualifying families and households that enable them to rent decent, safe and sanitary housing in the private rental market. Whereas in HCV where the rental subsidy is tied to a voucher which in turn is allotted to a family or household, under PBV, the rental subsidy is tied to a specific rental unit and not the family or household.

Under the PBV Program, a Public Housing Authority (PHA) can allocate up to 20 percent of its voucher assistance to specific housing units if the owner agrees to either rehabilitate or construct the units, or the owner agrees to set aside a portion of the units in an existing development. All units must meet HUD housing quality standards. Under the PBV Program, a PHA enters into an assistance contract with the owner for specified units and for a specified term. The PHA refers families from its waiting list to the project owner to fill vacancies. Because assistance is tied to the unit, a family who moves from the project-based unit does not have any right to continued housing assistance. However, they may be eligible for a tenant-based voucher under HCV when one becomes available. Rents in the PBV Program are set based upon market comparables of similar units in the project and surrounding vicinity and may not exceed 110 percent of the HUD-published existing housing fair market rents.

Applicants for the PBV Program shall be an owner of existing affordable rental developments or projects with at least one year of experience in ownership and/or management of said developments or projects. For purposes of the PBV Program, “existing affordable rental developments or projects” are such housing units or properties that are already constructed and have tenants residing in individual rental units on premises. Also, applicants for the PBV Program shall be an owner of rehabilitated or newly constructed housing developments or projects. For purposes of the PBV Program, “rehabilitated or newly constructed developments or projects” are such housing units or properties that are proposed to be rehabilitated or constructed. The selected application will be chosen based on the greatest number of rental units being proposed to utilize PBV funding and for the length of time the applicant desires to utilize the PBV Program.The selected applicant will be required to be in Hawaii Compliance Express (HCE) clearance if receiving over $25,000 in contract awards.

KCHA estimates that up to fifty (50) units in the County of Kauai will be assisted under the funding available for the purposes of the PBV Program. To respond to this solicitation, all interested applicants are required to complete and submit a PBV application from KCHA. The PBV application is available for download via this link: RFP_2020_Project-Based Voucher (PBV) Application  or may be requested via mail by contacting the HCV Program Manager at (808) 241-4440, between the hours of 8:00AM and 4:00PM, Monday through Thursday, except for legal holidays.

The application deadline for this solicitation is 4:00PM HST on November 16, 2020.

Questions, comments or requests for additional information may be directed to Jennifer Toguchi, Program Manager at jtoguchi@kauai.gov; via phone at (808) 241-4440; or by mail at 4444 Rice Street, Suite 330, Lihue, HI 96766.

Accommodations for persons with disabilities, persons requesting auxiliary aides or materials in a different format and interpreters for non-English speaking citizens will be available upon written request by contacting Jennifer Toguchi at (808) 241-4440.

Adam Roversi Housing Director

Kauai County Housing Agency

Publish Date: October 2, 2020, October 9, 2020, October 16, 2020

The State of Hawai‘i’s Rent Relief and Housing Assistance Program provides assistance to Hawai‘i renters and homeowners who have experienced a reduction in income due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and are at risk of eviction or foreclosure. Funded by the Federal CARES Act, the program is administered on Kaua‘i by Catholic Charities Hawai‘i.

Applications for rental assistance will be accepted for housing payments due between August 1, 2020 and December 15, 2020. Kaua‘i residents may be eligible for mortgage assistance for amounts owed since April of 2020.

Affected Kaua‘i residents seeking assistance can contact Catholic Charities Hawai‘i’s Lihu‘e office at (808) 241-4673 to see if they qualify. CCH staff will provide those inquiring with information on the application process and required documentation. You may also apply for assistance online.

For more information or to apply on line please visit: https://www.catholiccharitieshawaii.org/housinghelp/

If you believe you have received a notice of eviction or foreclosure in violation of the moratoriums described above, the Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i may be able to provide you with further guidance and assistance. The Legal Aid Society’s Neighbor Island phone number is 1- 800-499-4302.

Housing Agency announces update on foreclosure and eviction protections under COVID-19 federal and state emergency proclamations

Effective Monday, July 27, 2020, the Kaua‘i County Housing Agency’s Rental Assistance Division will resume providing public window service from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. A mask is required to enter the building, and to receive service.

Window service includes picking up and returning applications for rental assistance, dropping off documents, and preliminary inquiries.

For more in-depth assistance from the Rental Assistance Division in completing applications an appointment is required. For an appointment, existing clients should call their assigned caseworker directly. New clients who have not yet been assigned to a caseworker may call 241-4440.

For assistance from the Development Division, an advance appointment is required. To make an appointment with the staff of the Development Division, please call 241-4444.

For delivery of mortgage and lease payments at any time, or for delivery of Rental Assistance paperwork outside of regular window hours, the Housing Agency now has a secure mailbox located at the Rice Street Entrance to the Pi`ikoi Building. Any documents placed in the secure drop box after 4 p.m. will be marked as received the following business day.

Changes to Housing Agency Standard Operating Procedures Under Covid-19 Emergency July 21, 2020

LĪHU‘E – The Kaua‘i County Housing Agency and the Office of the Mayor are implementing a new program that offers emergency rental, mortgage, and utility assistance.

“This program can provide payments of up to $1,500 per month for a maximum of three months to cover rent, mortgage, and utility payments for low- to moderate-income Kaua‘i residents who have suffered a loss of income due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Mayor Derek S. K. Kawakami.

The County of Kaua‘i is partnering with Family Life Center and Mālama Pono Health Services to implement this program.

For more information and to apply for assistance, please contact these non-profit organizations directly. Family Life Center can be reached at 212-0850; Mālama Pono Health Services can be reached at 246-9577.

News Release : Housing Agency, Mayor Kawakami announces emergency rental, mortgage, and utility assistance program

Many in our community have faced job loss as a result of the Covid-19 Emergency. This sudden loss of income has left many deeply concerned about how they will pay for necessities and the roof over their heads. During the Covid-19 Emergency, the County Housing Agency has adopted a policy of no evictions from County owned properties, and no foreclosures of County issued mortgage loans. Additionally, the County will waive any late fees for missed or untimely payments. These forbearance policies will continue until July 23, 2020. When this emergency is behind us, we will work with our tenants and holders of County loans to work out reasonable payment plans that keep folks in their homes and rentals. In addition, all recipients of rental assistance through the County who have suffered a loss of income are encouraged to contact the Housing Agency at 241-4440 to file a change of circumstance form documenting your loss of income. In most cases this will enable the County to increase your rental assistance to help cover your lost income. Although the County Housing Agency is not open for in-person visits, we are still working by phone to serve  our clients.

Beyond these County actions, the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) contains protections for many homeowners and renters. Under the CARES Act servicers of federally backed mortgage loans (FHA, USDA, VA, HUD Section 184a, Fannie Mae, or Freddie Mac) are prohibited from initiating any judicial or non-judicial foreclosure actions, from moving for foreclosure judgment or order of sale, or from executing a foreclosure related eviction of foreclosure sale between March 18, 2020 and May 17, 2020. Borrowers of federally backed mortgages experiencing financial hardship due to Covid-19 may request forbearance from their loan servicer for up to 180 days. You should contact your loan servicer directly to request forbearance. With regard to renters, until July 26, 2020, property owners with federally guaranteed loans or participating in federal housing programs, are prohibited from filing for eviction or charging any additional fees for unpaid rent. Property owners with federally guaranteed loans or participating in federal housing programs may not issue a notice to vacate until July 26, 2020. Renters seeking additional information or assistance should contact the Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i or a HUD approved housing counselor. You can find the nearest HUD counselor by calling 1 (800) 569-4287. Please note that these County and federal actions provide protections from foreclosures and evictions, for County properties and loans, and with regard to properties with federally backed mortgages. These protections do not necessarily cover all mortgages and tenant situations. The County, however, encourages landlords and private mortgage companies to similarly show forbearance to tenants and borrowers who find themselves in financial hardship. It is also important to understand that while these policies are near term protections from evictions and foreclosures, tenants and homeowners will still be legally responsible for unpaid rents or loan payments that accrue during the Covid-19 emergency. But the County and federally backed loan servicers will work with you to establish reasonable repayment plans to keep our community housed.

Workforce Housing Nexus and Financial Feasibility Analysis for the County of Kauai

The Kaua‘i County Housing Agency Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program announces it will be accepting applications for its Section 8 HCV waiting list starting at 8 a.m. on  May 15, 2019, until further notice.

Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Waiting List