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Hawaii, USA (KITV) Catholic Charities Hawaii and the State of Hawaii announced on Wednesday the launch of a new rent relief program that will begin accepting applications next week.
The Rent Assistance and Mediation Program (RAMP) will provide assistance for Hawai‘i renters who have experienced a reduction in income because of unemployment or a reduction in work hours due to the COVID-19 pandemic and are at risk of eviction.
The $6 million program, administered by Catholic Charities Hawaii, intends to help tenants avoid eviction by providing rental payments for unpaid rent and mediation services.
Rental payments will be considered from January 1, 2021 with a statewide cap of $1,500 per household per month. A maximum of up to two months total of past due and ongoing assistance can be provided.
Catholic Charities Hawai i to provide additional rent relief through state assistance program kitv.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kitv.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
“Some of the landlords I’ve spoken with are concerned $4,000 isnt enough to save the tenancy,” Souza said.
Some tenants are further behind in their rent and aren’t paying because they are protected by the eviction moratorium which ends February 9. Souza said some landlords would rather wait to evict their tenants than accept $4,000.
“Some are hesitating to do it because of the limit of $4,000,” Souza said.
Some landlords still have mortgages and they have to pay taxes and keep up with a maintenance schedule.
“We’ve taken a beating. A lot of these people have lost a lot of money,” Souza added.
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