Rental Assistance Available for those Impacted by Kona Earthquake

HONOLULU - Residents of Hawaiʻi County who were impacted by the Kona Earthquake that occurred May 22 may be eligible for rental assistance.

If your primary home is unsafe to live in because of damage caused by the Kona Earthquake, you can apply for FEMA assistance to help pay for alternate temporary housing. FEMA will work closely with households to understand their temporary housing needs and provide assistance.

To request rental assistance, homeowners and renters should contact FEMA and update their application or create one if they haven't already. This can be done in any of the following ways:

• Visiting DisasterAssistance.gov.
• Visiting a Community Resource Center. Dates, times, and locations can be found at ready.hawaii.gov.
• Calling the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362.
  • If you use a relay service, such as video relay, captioned telephone, or another service, please provide FEMA with that number. Phone support is available in many languages, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• Sending your request to FEMA: P.O. Box 10055, Hyattsville, MD 20782-8055.

FEMA is required to conduct a home inspection to verify damage reported on your application prior to awarding rental assistance.

If approved, you will receive an initial rental award of up to two months of rent. Applicants may be eligible for additional rental assistance beyond the initial two-month period and should keep in touch with FEMA about their housing needs.

The deadline to apply for federal assistance for the Kona Earthquake is November 1, 2026.