On March 25, The Office of Hawaiian Affairs approved $3.96 million in disaster aid to support affected families across the islands. This funding will provide help for impacted Native Hawaiian households, community resource hubs, and federal workers not receiving paychecks, and home repairs.
Funding in an emergency meeting to be distributed through a combination of emergency assistance, direct grants, and home repair support:
Redirecting I Ola Emergency Aid (up to $3.3 million): Through a contract amendment with Hawaiian Council, OHA will reallocate existing funds to provide:
Up to $2.9 million to support verified Native Hawaiian households in highly impacted areas
Up to $100,000 to support community resource hubs statewide
Up to $300,000 in assistance for federal civilian workers affected by the Department of Homeland Security shutdown (e.g., TSA Agents)
Direct Disaster Aid Grants ($410,000): Funding will provide direct financial assistance to eligible Native Hawaiian households in impacted regions.
Mālama Honua Home Repair Grants ($250,000): Grants ranging from $10,000 to $20,000 to support necessary home repairs resulting from storm damage for qualified households who provide verified repair estimates or invoices.
Emergency Relief For Molokaʻi
Up to $350 in grocery assistance available for eligible Native Hawaiian SNAP recipients
The Hawaiian Council is continuing its statewide effort to assist Native Hawaiian beneficiaries applying for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) I Ola: OHA’s Emergency Relief Fund.
The program, funded by OHA, is designed to support Native Hawaiian SNAP recipients without minor dependents who experienced financial hardship during the 2025 government shutdown.
Eligible applicants may receive up to $350 in grocery stipend check, distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. To date, more than $500,000 in grocery assistance has been distributed across the pae ʻāina.
The Hawaiian Council is administering the Office of Hawaiian Affairs’ (OHA) $6.1 million Emergency Assistance Program to support Native Hawaiian beneficiaries impacted by the ongoing federal government shutdown and the suspension of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits.
There are two separate applications:
Native Hawaiians who have lost or experienced reduced SNAP benefits, and
Native Hawaiian federal civilian workers who have been furloughed or are experiencing pay interruptions due to the current federal shutdown.
One-Time Relief Amounts:
Local grocery store gift cards up to $350 will be issued to verified Native Hawaiian beneficiaries, with no dependents, who receive SNAP benefits but are excluded from the state’s Hawai‘i Relief Program. (Foodland gift cards will be provided for residents on O‘ahu, Maui, and Kaua‘i; KTA gift cards for residents on Hawai‘i Island; and due to the remote locations, residents on Lāna‘i and Moloka‘i will receive a direct assistance check)
Checks up to $1,200 will be issued to verified Native Hawaiian federal civilian (nonmilitary) employees furloughed or not receiving pay during the shutdown who earn no more than 400% of the Federal Poverty Level.
How to Apply:
Applications will be accepted in the following ways:
By phone: Call the Hawaiian Council at 808-596-8155 to fill out an application over the phone. Call center hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:30pm. After hours appointments are available by appointment if needed.
In-person: Submit an application at 91-1270 Kinoiki Street in Kapolei during regular office hours, Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. To schedule an after-hours appointment (5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.), contact the call center at 808-596-8155 for an appointment.
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