Maui County Hawaii Emergency Rental Assistance
Applications for the Maui County Emergency Rental Assistance Program are now being accepted.
All applicants must complete an online pre-screening application. After the pre-screening application has been received and reviewed, applicants will be contacted for further instructions on the next steps. Before submitting an online pre-screening application, please read the information on this page as well as the FAQs.
If you have any questions about the program or are having trouble submitting the online pre-screening application after reviewing this information, please contact the Catholic Charities helpline for Maui County at (808) 873-4673.
To apply for pre-screening, go to: https://mera.catholiccharitieshawaii.org/redirect.
If you prefer to submit your MERA application by mail or fax, please print and complete BOTH of the documents listed below.
When mailing or faxing your MERA application, please ensure that all paperwork is sent at the same time. Sending paperwork in pieces will cause the application process to be delayed. Your packet should include the following components: a prescreen, the main application, and all documentation. Mahalo!
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the Maui Hawaii emergency rental assistance program work?
It’s a program run by the County of Maui to assist low-income families that have been struck the most financially by the COVID-19 outbreak with their rent, utility bills, or a combination of the two. The program also pays for utilities such as electricity, water, gas, and sewer.
The program provides up to the following amounts to qualified households:
- Rental and utility bills from the past: $2,500 per month. The program has the ability to settle debts that date back to March 13, 2020.
- Current and upcoming expenses include $2,000 per month in rent and up to $500 per month in utilities.
- There is a maximum of 12 months of total support provided.
- Payments are made directly to the landlord or to the utility service provider.
Does the rental assistance program pay for mortgages?
Unfortunately, federal restrictions prohibit this program from paying for mortgages. Mortgage assistance may be available through County of Maui grants, including recently added funds through the Community Development Block Grant Program. Maui Economic Opportunity (MEO) and Family Life Center administer these funds.
MEO Housing Assistance
Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc., (MEO) administers several County, State, and Federally funded housing assistance programs and grants. Each program has its own set of standards and requirements in order to better serve our community’s various degrees of need. Each application received is examined by a Housing Specialist to identify what current program may be available to best fit the client’s needs. If you have received assistance previously from another agency within a 12 month period or the same funding source, your application may be deemed ineligible.