HI SR9

Hawaii Public Housing Authority is requested to utilize the State's Rent Supplement Program to provide homeowners insurance premium assistance to housing owners who rent or lease to qualified kupuna in mortgaged properties located in lava zone 1 or lava zone 2 as identified by the United States Geological Survey Lava-Flow Hazard Zone Map on the Island of Hawaii

Homeowners insurance premiums in lava zones have increased more than six times compared to previous years following the Kilauea eruption over five years ago

Rising insurance expenses have resulted in higher rents being charged to offset costs, making previously affordable housing unaffordable for low-income residents and kupuna

Over 25 percent of older adults in Hawaii are classified as low income and many live on fixed incomes from pensions, retirement plans, and social security, facing potential homelessness as rents increase

Certified copies of the resolution are to be transmitted to the Executive Director of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority