Housing News

Washington- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a final rule today to expand affordable housing opportunities for the native families under the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant (NHHBG) program.

HUD’s Secretary Marcia L. Fudge said, “We are committed to supporting Hawaiian communities with quality, affordable housing, especially low-income Native Hawaiian families who reside on the Hawaiian Home Lands and often face significant housing challenges. Expanding the availability of affordable and accessible housing options will enable Native Hawaiians to maintain their housing and ensure benefits for future generations.”

This amendment provides clear guidelines on the use of program funds for rental housing assistance, in line with the provisions of Title VIII of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (NAHASDA). The amendments ensure compliance with the NHHBG Program’s requirements and promote consistency between NHHBG and HUD’s Indian Housing Block Grant Program regulations.

HUD’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Richard J. Monocchio said, “This final rule will further strengthen the NHHBG program. These changes will ensure that the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) can better serve more Native Hawaiian families.”

In 2019, the Governor of Hawaii authorized changes allowing the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL), the sole recipient of the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant (NHHBG), to expand its residential lease options to include rental housing. After DHHL provided input on its rental housing projects, HUD conducted a review of its regulations. This review revealed that the regulations were unclear about how NHHBG funds could be used for rental assistance. To address this, HUD recognized the need for more detailed guidelines to better support DHHL’s rental housing program. Consequently, HUD issued the final rule to clarify and enhance the use of NHHBG funds for this purpose.