Hawaii Assistance Programs and Benefits
Free help finding assistance programs on every island, from Kauai to the Big Island
Island living costs more. Groceries arrive by ship, rents run high, and one lost job can put a Hawaii family in a tight spot fast. Helping Hands shows you the Hawaii assistance programs that match your needs and how to reach them.
Share what you're facing on Oahu or a neighbor island. We'll walk you through the programs, the rules they use and the offices on your island that can help.
We cover all 5 counties in Hawaii, from the City and County of Honolulu to Hawaii County, Maui County, Kauai County and tiny Kalawao on Molokai. You could live in a Waipahu apartment, a Hilo neighborhood or an upcountry Maui town. You pay nothing for the guidance on any island.
Help on the islands comes from DHS programs, federal programs, local nonprofits, food banks and community action agencies. We help you sort out which ones to try first.
Check Your Eligibility for Free
DHS, Med-QUEST and local nonprofits each use their own rules. Your income, household size, age, disability, housing and work history each shape what you can receive.
Helping Hands helps you see which programs may fit and how to get started.
Hawaii Financial Assistance Programs
A slow tourist season, an injury or a family emergency can drain savings in Hawaii faster than on the mainland. Several kinds of financial help are available, and your situation decides which ones fit.
If rent, food or bills have become hard to cover, we help you find the right resources and show you where to apply.
Helping Hands can help you locate information about programs and resources involving:
Hawaii Food Assistance and SNAP Benefits
Food prices in Hawaii run among the highest in the country, and a short paycheck feels it at the checkout line.
We explain Hawaii food assistance programs, with a close look at the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Hawaii puts SNAP benefits on an EBT card you can use at approved stores.
If filling the pantry has gotten harder, check whether you may qualify for SNAP.
The Hawaii Department of Human Services (DHS) takes applications for SNAP, cash help and Medicaid, known in Hawaii as Med-QUEST. You can apply for SNAP through the DHS online application.
We can also help Hawaii residents locate:
Hawaii Utility Bill Assistance
Hawaii households pay some of the highest electric rates in the nation, and air conditioning during a hot, humid stretch adds more. Fall behind and a disconnection notice can follow.
Qualifying Hawaii households may get help with electric and gas bills, and we show you the programs to try.
Resources may include information about:
LIHEAP Help in Hawaii: H-HEAP
Hawaii runs the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) as the Hawaii Home Energy Assistance Program (H-HEAP), managed by the Hawaii Department of Human Services.
H-HEAP makes a one-time payment toward an electric or gas bill. Energy Crisis Intervention helps households facing a shutoff, and Energy Credit helps others keep up. Openings fill quickly, so check current dates with DHS.
We help you find the right contact on your island and start your application.
Hawaii Rental Assistance and Housing Assistance
Housing on the islands costs more than almost anywhere, and a drop in income can put you behind on rent within weeks.
Behind on rent, facing eviction, hunting for an affordable unit, or scared of losing your home? We help you find programs and groups that may step in.
Helping Hands provides information about housing resources that may be available to qualifying Hawaii residents, including:
Section 8 and Housing Assistance in Hawaii
If you need affordable housing in Hawaii, learn about Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and other subsidized housing.
State and county housing agencies run these programs, and rules and wait lists differ from Oahu to the neighbor islands.
Helping Hands can provide information and resources to help you understand:
Hawaii Eviction Assistance
Received an eviction notice or owe back rent? Don't wait. Each week you wait leaves you fewer options.
Our Hawaii resources cover rental assistance, eviction prevention, emergency housing, legal aid and local community resources.
Help may come from nonprofits, legal aid groups, county agencies or housing programs, depending on your situation.
Foreclosure Prevention Assistance in Hawaii
Homeowners in a rough patch have the most options before the missed payments pile up.
Ask us for information and referrals on foreclosure prevention and housing counseling in Hawaii.
If you fear losing your home, call your mortgage servicer early and meet with a housing counselor.
Hawaii Assistance for Seniors
Hawaii's kupuna may qualify for help with health care, meals, housing, transportation and monthly bills.
For Medicare questions, call Hawaii SHIP toll-free at 1-888-875-9229, the free Medicare counseling program of the Executive Office on Aging.
Helping Hands provides information about resources that may be available to older adults, including:
Hawaii Med-QUEST, Medicaid and Medicare Resources
Medical costs strain kupuna, people with disabilities and families on low incomes most of all.
Helping Hands helps you find information about Medicare, Medicaid (Med-QUEST), health-care assistance and other medical resources that fit your needs.
Medicare and Med-QUEST follow different rules, so review the current requirements for the program you want.
Disability Assistance in Hawaii
Hawaii residents living with a disability may qualify for specialized programs and community support.
Each program has its own qualifications, so check them one by one.
Helping Hands can help Hawaii residents locate information about resources involving:
Legal Assistance for Hawaii Residents
A benefit denial, a landlord dispute or mounting debt can call for legal help.
If you qualify, Hawaii groups offer legal aid and free legal resources, and we help you reach them.
Legal aid groups on each island set their own rules for free or low-cost help.
Legal assistance may be particularly relevant for issues involving:
Education, Employment and Training Assistance
One payment buys time. Better work buys stability.
Helping Hands also shares education, job training and workforce resources that can help Hawaii residents find better jobs and build steadier income.
Resources may include:
Hawaii Food Banks and Emergency Food Resources
Need food today? Food banks and pantries on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island hand out groceries and meals.
Helping Hands helps you find food resources close to home, with options for families, kupuna, people with disabilities and anyone in a short-term crisis.
Short on food, shelter or bill money right now? Dial 2-1-1 in Hawaii. Aloha United Way 211 connects you with services on every island.
Assistance Available Throughout All 5 Hawaii Counties
Our program information and guidance reach all 5 counties in Hawaii, from Kauai County to Hawaii County.
Our Hawaii resources cover island towns large and small, including:
- Honolulu
- Hilo
- Kailua-Kona
- Kahului
- Wailuku
- Lihue
- Kapolei
- Pearl City
- Kaneohe
- Kailua
- Waipahu
- Mililani
- Ewa Beach
- Kihei
- Lahaina
- City and County of Honolulu
- Hawaii County
- Maui County
- Kauai County
- Kalawao County
- And communities throughout Hawaii
From a Honolulu high-rise to a home on the Hamakua Coast, the help open to you depends on your household and the programs serving your island.
How Helping Hands Can Help
Agencies, rules, forms and wait lists can make help feel an ocean away.
Helping Hands keeps the options open to Hawaii residents in one place.
Our goal is to help you:
- Identify programs that may match your situation.
- Understand basic eligibility requirements.
- Find the appropriate agency or organization.
- Learn where and how to apply.
- Locate additional resources if one program does not meet your needs.
Hawaii residents pay nothing for our help or resource information.
Need Help in Hawaii? Start Here.
Struggling with food, rent, electric bills, medical costs or another crisis? You don't have to track down every program alone.
We map out your options and connect you with agencies and groups on your island that may help.
Common Hawaii Assistance Programs
Food & Nutrition
- SNAP / Food Stamps
- EBT information
- Food banks
- Food pantries
- Emergency food assistance
Housing
- Rental assistance
- Section 8
- Low-income housing
- Eviction assistance
- Foreclosure prevention
- Emergency housing
Utilities
- LIHEAP (H-HEAP)
- Electric assistance
- Gas assistance
- Utility bill assistance
Financial Assistance
- Emergency financial assistance
- Cash assistance
- Family assistance
- Single-parent resources
- Community grants and assistance
Health & Senior Services
- Medicare
- Med-QUEST (Medicaid)
- Senior assistance
- Disability resources
- Health-care assistance
Other Resources
- Legal assistance
- Education
- Job training
- Workforce resources
- Community services
Immediate Hawaii Assistance
Need help now? Dial 2-1-1 to reach Aloha United Way 211 and find local help with food, shelter, utility bills and other emergencies.
For SNAP, cash help and Med-QUEST, contact the Hawaii Department of Human Services (DHS).
For Medicare questions, call Hawaii SHIP toll-free at 1-888-875-9229.
Helping Hands makes help on the islands easier to understand.
Find out what you may qualify for and explore Hawaii assistance programs, island by island.
Helping Hands is a resource and information service. Program eligibility, availability, funding, and application requirements are determined by the applicable government agency, nonprofit organization, housing authority, or other program administrator. Providing information about a program does not guarantee eligibility or approval.
