Hilo, Hawaiʻi – The County of Hawaiʻi Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD) has announced the launch of a new Home Improvement Loan Program (HILP), designed to assist local homeowners in making essential repairs and upgrades to their primary residences.
The HILP provides low-interest loans ranging from $2,500 to $50,000 at a simple interest rate of 3%. The program is available to eligible low- and moderate-income homeowners and is intended to help families repair, improve, or modernize their homes.
“The Home Improvement Loan Program provides assistance to qualifying homeowners who need to make essential repairs,” said Mayor Kimo Alameda. “By extending the life of existing homes, we are supporting housing stability for families and our kūpuna.”
A unique feature of the program is that homeowners who are 62 years or older, or who have a disability, may be eligible to have 50% of the loan’s principal balance forgiven at the end of the 15-year loan period.
Kehaulani Costa, County Housing Administrator, emphasized the program’s focus on existing housing. “The cost of maintaining, repairing and making necessary improvements for our aging ʻohana can be overwhelming for many local families,” Costa said. “HILP provides support for these types of home improvements so we can keep our homes safe and livable for the long run.”
Eligible repairs under the program include:
- Repairing termite or wood rot damage.
- Fixing a leaky roof or drainpipes.
- Lead-based paint abatement.
- Upgrading faulty electrical wiring or plumbing.
- Connecting to County sewer systems.
- Termite treatment.
- Installing solar water heating systems.
- Modifications to accommodate household members with disabilities.
The HILP is funded by the County of Hawaiʻi through the Affordable Housing Production Program. The County has stated its commitment to expanding the program with additional State, Federal, and philanthropic support.
Applications and the program’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) can be downloaded from the OHCD website at https://www.housing.hawaiicounty.gov/community-resources/hilp. For more information, residents can contact OHCD by emailing ohcdloans@hawaiicounty.gov.