OHA Trustees Approve $6.1 Million in Emergency Relief for Native Hawaiian Beneficiaries Impacted by Federal Shutdown

News Release from OHA, Nov 6, 2025

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) Board of Trustees, meeting today in Hilo, approved a plan to expend up to $6.1 million in OHA emergency assistance funding to Native Hawaiian beneficiaries impacted by the federal government shutdown.

“When our people need help the most, OHA will be there for them,” said OHA Board Chair Kaialiʻi Kahele. “We look to provide money to nearly 15,000 of our most vulnerable beneficiaries with the $6.1 million weʻve set aside to address this emergency so that they can buy food and pay for other essential household needs.”

The plan calls for OHA to make payments of up to $350 to beneficiaries who are kūpuna (age 60 and older), low-income adults, or disabled beneficiaries who receive SNAP benefits but are excluded from the state’s Hawaiʻi Relief Program.

Another group of beneficiaries – Native Hawaiian furloughed federal civilian workers earning no more than 400% of the Federal Poverty Level – would be eligible to receive payments of up to $1,200.

“We believe we’re targeting two groups of our beneficiaries who might otherwise be inadequately served or fall through the cracks of other relief programs,” said OHA Interim CEO Summer Sylva. “When Hawaiians help Hawaiians, our aloha and pilina deepen. By caring for those most in need, we strengthen our lāhui for this moment—and for all that lies ahead.”

OHA plans to partner with the Hawaiian Council to administer the emergency relief program. Applications for assistance will open on Monday, November 10, with the Hawaiian Council managing intake and verification.

Eligible beneficiaries will receive $350 gift cards (for SNAP recipients) or $1,200 checks (for furloughed federal workers). The program aims to provide immediate financial relief to help Native Hawaiian households cover food, housing, and essential living expenses during the shutdown.

For more information, beneficiaries can visit www.oha.org/kokua or contact kokua@oha.org.

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OHA Board to Decide on Emergency Relief Payments for Native Hawaiians

News Release from OHA, Nov 3, 2025

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) Board of Trustees will consider three options Thursday when it meets in Hilo to decide on a relief program to distribute more than $6.1 million in emergency funding to Native Hawaiian beneficiaries impacted by the federal government shutdown and delayed or reduced SNAP benefit assistance.

OHA staff will recommend that the Board approve a program providing up to $350 per person to verified Native Hawaiian households without child dependents. This beneficiary group may include kūpuna, disabled adults, and low-income adults who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits but are excluded from the state’s Hawaiʻi Relief Program (TANF Support for Housing and Utility Payments) or are awaiting state or federal payments that would otherwise help stabilize their household budgets.

Additionally, OHA staff will be recommending that OHA Trustees approve a second-tier of relief providing up to $1,200 per person in to verified Native Hawaiian furloughed federal civilian workers earning no more than 400% of the Federal Poverty Level (approximately $72,000 for a single-person household) who are experiencing a pay interruption and are also excluded from the Hawaiʻi Relief Program.

“We are addressing the needs of some of our most vulnerable beneficiaries,” said OHA Board of Trustees Chairperson Kaialiʻi Kahele. “We look forward to approving this relief program and getting these emergency funds to our beneficiaries just as soon as possible.”

OHA estimates nearly 14,000 Native Hawaiian beneficiaries may qualify for the $350 direct payment to help meet food costs. Another 1,000 beneficiaries who are furloughed federal workers could be eligible for the $1,200 relief payments.

“This targeted approach reflects our responsibility to deploy trust resources with intention and equity, avoiding duplication with existing state relief measures,” said OHA Interim Administrator Summer Sylva. “By filling the gaps left by other programs, we are ensuring kōkua reaches those who might otherwise be left waiting — our kūpuna, working families, and Native Hawaiian federal employees caught in hardship through no fault of their own.”

The Board will take up this item when it meets at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 6, at the Ka Haka ‘Ula O Ke’elikōlani College of Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo.

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OHA sets aside $6.1 Million for emergency relief to protect Native Hawaiian families amid federal shutdown

News Release from OHA, Oct 27, 2025

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) Board of Trustees today approved $6.1 million in emergency funding for Native Hawaiian beneficiaries impacted by the shutdown of the federal government and the potential suspension of SNAP benefits on November 1. 

“These are unsettling times, and our beneficiaries are feeling it most,” said OHA Board of Trustees Chairperson Kaialiʻi Kahele. “Families are missing paychecks, losing benefits, and facing impossible choices about how to feed their ʻohana. OHA will not wait on the sidelines — we are taking immediate action to help our people through this crisis.” 

The OHA Board, meeting in emergency session today, directed the administration to work out details of the benefits program, including determining eligibility requirements and potential partnerships. 

OHA Interim Administrator Summer Sylva said, “Together, we will develop a program that models Native Hawaiian governance and leadership at its best — collective, courageous, and compassionate. In this time of uncertainty, OHA is stepping forward to take care of our people, because that’s exactly what this trust was created to do.” 

Sylva will report back to the Board of Trustees at its meeting scheduled for November 6 in Hilo. 

Estimates are that more than 47,000 Native Hawaiians receive SNAP benefits. The average monthly SNAP benefit amount in Hawaiʻi is about $409 per person and $757 per household. 

Hawaiʻi is home to approximately 24,600 civilian federal employees. While the precise number of Native Hawaiians within that workforce is not known, estimates place it at just under five thousand. 

More details on OHA’s $6.1 million dollar emergency funding program, who qualifies, and how benefits will be distributed will be announced no later than early November. 

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HNN: Office of Hawaiian Affairs shares the plan to help families during the government shutdown