Home Repair Grants in Hawaii (2026 Guide)

Last updated: July 27, 2026

Start with the program tied to your island and repair. A leaking roof may fit a county loan. A broken water heater may fit weatherization. A rural owner may fit USDA. A Lahaina homeowner rebuilding after the 2023 wildfire should use Maui County’s disaster program.

Ask what kind of help is offered. A deferred loan is repaid later. A forgivable loan is reduced only after you meet its rules. A rebate usually pays after an approved purchase. Weatherization is a direct service, not cash.

Quick Guide to Hawaii Home Repair Help

Best first question: “Is this program accepting applications today, and is the help a grant, loan, deferred loan, reimbursement, or direct service?”

Where to Start on Each Island

Not sure which office fits? Use Aloha United Way 211. Older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers can also call the Hawaii ADRC at 808-643-2372. These referral services can help locate an active island program.

See local repair programs and the repair help starting guide for more first-step help.

Main Hawaii Repair Programs

Oahu: Honolulu Rehabilitation Loan Program

The Honolulu homeowner loan page lists the City’s Rehabilitation Loan Program. The City posted a revised application packet in July 2026. The program is meant for qualified low- and moderate-income homeowners who own and occupy a home on Oahu.

Type of help: A loan, not a general grant. City rules allow the loan to be secured against the property. Monthly payments may apply, although the City can approve deferral in certain hardship situations. A sale, transfer, or end of owner occupancy may cause the balance to become due.

What it may cover: Deteriorated or hazardous conditions such as a leaking roof, termite damage, bad electrical wiring, plumbing problems, and other work needed to meet basic housing standards. The State Energy Office also notes that some energy-saving work may fit.

Reality check: The current City packet controls the amount, rate, income limit, payment plan, and security. Do not rely on an old amount from another website. Call 808-768-7076 before getting bids or starting work.

Hawaii Island: Home Improvement Loan Program

The Hawaii County HILP is one of the clearest public repair options in the state. It serves eligible low- and moderate-income homeowners who own and occupy the property as their primary home.

• Loan amount: $2,500 to $50,000.
• Interest: 3% simple interest.
• Payment: Deferred for 15 years, with the balance then due.
• Possible forgiveness: A homeowner age 62 or older or a homeowner with a disability may qualify for forgiveness of 50% of principal at the end of the term.
• Not free money: Deferred payment and partial forgiveness do not erase the remaining debt.

Eligible work can include roof leaks, termites, wood rot, plumbing, electrical work, lead hazards, sewer hookups, cesspool conversion, solar water heating, and disability modifications. For Hilo, call 808-961-8379. For Kona, call 808-323-4300. The county also lists ohcdloans@hawaiicounty.gov.

Ask before signing: When is the full balance due? Is a mortgage or lien recorded? What happens after a sale, refinance, transfer, death of an owner, or move? A deferred loan can create a large future payment.

Statewide Weatherization Assistance

The Hawaii Weatherization Assistance Program is a direct service for qualified low-income households. It is not a cash grant. An island agency evaluates the home and installs approved energy-saving measures.

Possible measures include low-flow fixtures, LED lighting, advanced power strips, a room air conditioner, refrigerator replacement, and a hybrid heat-pump or solar water heater. The program gives priority to households with a person age 60 or older, a person with a disability, children, high energy use, or a high energy burden.

The state uses a limit of 200% of the federal poverty guideline. Based on the 2026 Hawaii guidelines, the annual 200% amounts are:

The local agency makes the final income calculation. Contacts are Kauai Economic Opportunity at 808-245-4077, Honolulu Community Action Program at 808-447-5440, Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council at 808-731-7009, and Maui Economic Opportunity at 808-249-2990.

For more detail on this service, read the weatherization guide.

Rural Homes: USDA Section 504

The USDA Section 504 program accepts applications year-round, subject to available funds. It can repair, improve, or modernize an eligible rural home or remove health and safety hazards.

• Loan: Up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest for 20 years.
• Grant: Up to $10,000 for an eligible very-low-income homeowner age 62 or older who cannot repay a loan.
• Combined standard help: Up to $50,000.
• Grant repayment: A grant must be repaid if the home is sold within three years.

Applicants must own and occupy the home, have very low income under the county limit, be unable to get affordable credit elsewhere, and have a rural-eligible address. A place can feel rural and still fail the USDA map, so ask USDA to check the exact address.

Call the USDA Hawaii office at 808-933-8300. USDA also has offices serving Honolulu, Maui, Molokai, and Kauai. Read more about rural repair assistance before applying.

Reality check: USDA may require ownership, income, tax, insurance, estimate, inspection, and contractor records. Heirs’ property, delinquent taxes, or title problems can stop the process.

Energy Rebates and Direct Equipment Help

Rebates lower an approved purchase cost; they are not broad repair grants. The State Energy Office rebate page points Oahu, Maui County, and Hawaii Island households to Hawaii Energy and Kauai households to utility programs. Check current equipment and contractor rules before buying.

The eHale rebate page says the federal household rebates still await final launch approval. One program is expected no earlier than late 2026; the other has no firm date. Earlier work will not qualify retroactively. Do not delay an urgent repair.

On Kauai, qualifying low-income members age 60 or older may also be screened for direct refrigerator or electric water-heater replacement through utility programs. Confirm current availability and rules with the utility.

Native Hawaiian and Hawaiian Home Lands Options

The OHA Malama loan is a regular home improvement loan, not a grant. Current posted terms are $2,500 to $100,000, 5% to 6% annual percentage rate, and up to seven years. Loans over $50,000 require non-real-estate collateral.

Applicants must meet OHA’s ancestry, residency, credit, income, and debt rules. OHA lists a minimum credit score of 600 and debt-to-income ratio no higher than 45%. Repairs, additions, retaining walls, driveways, fences, and some appliances may fit. Call 808-594-1888.

For homes tied to Hawaiian Home Lands, Hawaii Community Lending lists Pahono financing for minor repairs and Hoala financing for major rehabilitation. These are short-term construction or rehabilitation loans that normally need long-term takeout financing. The current page lists a maximum of $50,000 for Pahono and $600,000 for Hoala, rates up to 8%, a 12-month construction term, interest-only payments during that term, and required HUD counseling. Terms can change. Ask how the final mortgage, draws, contractor payments, and leasehold approval will work.

Cesspool and Sewer Work

Hawaii’s cesspool support page now lists a 2026 Cesspool Conversion Revolving Loan Program. Act 120 of 2026 authorizes low-interest or forgivable loans for eligible households statewide to convert a cesspool, install an approved wastewater system, or connect to sewer.

Status: The program is under development through the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority. It is not yet an open application program with final terms. Do not hire an engineer or contractor because someone says state money is guaranteed.

Hawaii Island HILP may cover a sewer hookup or cesspool conversion. On Kauai, the 2024 county reimbursement round closed and recipients were already selected. Call the Kauai Housing Agency at 808-241-4444 and ask whether a new local round is planned. See the site’s sewer repair guide for other questions to ask.

Storm and Wildfire Repair Help

March 2026 Kona Low Storms

The FEMA Individual Assistance and SBA physical-disaster-loan deadline was June 14, 2026. It has passed. People who applied should follow every document, inspection, or appeal deadline in their case.

A separate USDA disaster repair fund is open through September 30, 2026. It can provide up to $32,420 to an eligible low- or very-low-income owner-occupant for home damage caused by an eligible Presidentially, Secretarially, or Governor-declared disaster. Hawaii is exempt from the normal rural-location rule for this fund. The specific storm, county, damage, income, ownership, insurance, and duplication-of-benefits rules still must be met. Call USDA at 808-933-8300 before preparing a full application.

Native Hawaiian households should also check the OHA disaster aid page. OHA still lists a limited Malama Honua repair grant of up to $10,000 for eligible Native Hawaiian homeowners with documented minor, non-structural damage and cleanup costs from the March storms. Funding is limited, and the portal controls current availability. The separate Hawaiian Council program of up to $15,000 for major damage is not accepting applications as of this update.

Insurance first: Report covered damage promptly. Keep photos, videos, damaged-item lists, claim numbers, estimates, denial letters, and payment records. Disaster programs usually cannot pay the same cost that insurance or another program already paid.

Maui Wildfire Homeowner Programs

Ho’okumu Hou is Maui County’s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program for eligible homeowners whose primary residence was destroyed in the August 2023 wildfires. The current application deadline is August 31, 2026.

The Single-Family Homeowner Reconstruction Program can provide up to $1.2 million. The program selects and pays the contractor. The homeowner must have owned and occupied the property on August 8, 2023, still own it, be in the eligible burn area, meet the household income limit of no more than 140% of area median income, and meet tax, mortgage, property, and program rules.

The reimbursement program can provide up to $400,000 for an eligible homeowner who already completed reconstruction. This is reimbursement after eligible costs, not advance cash.

Long-term conditions: Reconstruction awards up to $200,000 generally carry five-year restrictions; up to $600,000, 10 years; and up to $1.2 million, 25 years. Reimbursement awards generally carry five- or 10-year restrictions. Resale, refinancing, insurance, and other aid can affect the award. Call 808-865-4007 before signing.

How to Apply Without Losing Time

A fuller application checklist is available in the home repair application guide.

Documents Commonly Requested

• Government photo identification for adult household members
• Deed, leasehold document, property tax record, mortgage statement, or other ownership proof
• Proof that the home is the primary residence
• Recent pay stubs, benefit letters, pension records, tax returns, and other income proof
• Homeowners insurance policy, claim number, settlement, or denial
• Photos and a simple repair list
• Contractor estimate or engineer report when requested
• Property tax, mortgage, and utility account status
• Proof of age, disability, veteran status, Native Hawaiian ancestry, or disaster impact when relevant
• Trust, probate, heirship, or title documents if the recorded owner is not clear

Accessibility work may fit HILP, USDA, aging programs, or a veteran benefit. See disability modification help and VA modification grants for specialized paths.

What Happens After You Apply

Before approval, the agency may verify income, ownership, occupancy, taxes, insurance, property value, mortgage balance, and liens. An inspector may remove cosmetic work from the eligible scope.

The program may require licensed contractors, bids, permits, environmental review, and direct contractor payment. Reimbursement may require you to pay first, finish the work, pass inspection, and submit receipts. Verbal approval is not enough.

Before signing a loan or grant agreement, ask for written answers to these questions:

• Will a lien, mortgage, or notice be recorded?
• When does repayment begin, and when is the full balance due?
• Can any amount be forgiven? What must I do to earn forgiveness?
• What happens if I sell, refinance, transfer the home, rent it, or move?
• Who chooses the contractor and approves change orders?
• Must I remain in the home for five, 10, 15, or 25 years?
• Is the award taxable or counted as duplication of benefits?

If Help Is Delayed, Denied, or Not Available

Ask for the reason in writing, then change lanes. Weatherization may replace an old appliance even when a county will not fund a roof. If USDA says the address is not rural, try a county, utility, Habitat, or nonprofit path. If title is the barrier, ask legal aid what record must be fixed.

Local Habitat repair programs are limited but worth checking. Habitat Maui repairs may provide safety work, accessibility retrofits, or a zero-interest repair loan, depending on income and available funding. Habitat for Humanity Hawaii Island lists rural and veteran critical-repair paths. Honolulu and Kauai affiliates may also have local intake periods. These are nonprofit programs, not guaranteed statewide grants.

For older adults and disabled owners, ADRC can connect you to county aging offices and support services. For rural homes, keep USDA in the backup plan. For nonprofit and local-government options, see Habitat aging-in-place help and the guide to local CDBG repairs.

Frequently Asked Questions