Hawaii Section 8 2026: Income Limits and Wait Lists

A Section 8 voucher isn't a grant, and the payment never goes to you: the housing agency pays part of the rent straight to your landlord. Applying is free. Hawaii doesn't have one statewide voucher list; each county runs its own, and Oahu has two separate agencies. For the national rules, see the Section 8 housing guide.

Hawaii Section 8 Income Limits for 2026 by County

Hawaii has only 5 HUD income limit areas, one per county (counting tiny Kalawao on Molokai). According to HUD's FY2026 income limits file, these very low income (50%) limits decide who can get on a voucher list:

At least three-quarters of new voucher admissions each year must go to households under the extremely low income (30%) limits:

Both Hawaii tables come from HUD's FY2026 income limits (opens in a new tab), in effect from May 1, 2026. The City and County of Honolulu and the Kauai County Housing Agency post the same figures on their own pages. You can confirm any county in HUD's FY2026 income limits documentation system (opens in a new tab).

Hawaii's own poverty guideline

The repeating figures at the bottom of the 30% table ($44,480, $51,010, $57,540 and $64,070) aren't from local incomes. They're the 2026 poverty guidelines for Hawaii, which HUD uses as a floor for the 30% limit. According to the HHS poverty guidelines page (opens in a new tab), Hawaii's 2026 guideline is $37,950 for a family of four, compared with $33,000 in the 48 contiguous states, a gap of $4,950. That's why Hawaii County's 4-person extremely low income limit is exactly $37,950: the islands get a higher floor than a mainland county with the same incomes would.

Grantsights analysis of the HUD file also found that every Hawaii county's 4-person limit sits above simple half-of-median math. Honolulu's $77,000 is $10,300 more than half of its $133,400 median ($66,700), and Hawaii County's $60,500 is $11,350 above half of $98,300. HUD raises limits where rents are high relative to incomes, and Hawaii qualifies in all four main counties. The HUD income limits guide has more on how those adjustments work.

How a Hawaii Voucher Splits the Rent

Hawaii voucher holders usually pay 30% of adjusted monthly income for rent and utilities. HPHA describes the subsidy as generally the lesser of the payment standard or the gross rent, minus 30% of the family's adjusted monthly income. According to HUD's voucher tenant page (opens in a new tab), an agency's minimum rent, if it sets one, typically falls between $25 and $50 a month.

Payment standards run from 90% to 110% of HUD's Fair Market Rent (FMR). Here are the 2-bedroom FMRs by county:

Hawaii FMRs are from HUD's Fair Market Rent data (opens in a new tab) for FY2026 and FY2027, and Grantsights calculated the change column. The new island rents took effect October 1, 2026, per HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rent notice (opens in a new tab).

On Oahu, both agencies set payment standards by ZIP code. The City and County of Honolulu's 2026 payment standards chart (opens in a new tab), effective January 1, 2026, groups neighborhoods into eight bands:

Federal rules that apply on every island:

• 40% at first lease-up. Under 24 CFR 982.508 (opens in a new tab), when a unit's rent tops the payment standard, your first-year share can't exceed 40% of adjusted monthly income.
• The 75% rule. 24 CFR 982.201 (opens in a new tab) reserves at least 75% of each year's admissions for extremely low income families; Honolulu's Section 8 page repeats the rule.
• Local preferences. Honolulu gives elderly, disabled or displaced applicants and families of two or more preference over single applicants. Kauai picks by preference category first, then by date and time.

Hawaii Section 8 Waiting Lists on November 12, 2026

2 of the 5 Hawaii voucher programs checked were taking applications on November 12, 2026, both on the neighbor islands. Here's what each agency's own page said:

Details that matter on each island:

• Kauai is first come, first served inside each preference group: the county's notice says applications are picked by preference, then "according to the time and date" each pre-application arrived. On Kauai, applying sooner helps. A kiosk in the Housing Agency lobby in Lihue is available by appointment.
• Hawaii County asks applicants to keep their mailing address current in writing (sec8waitlist@hawaiicounty.gov), and it warns that it doesn't pay security deposits, so it suggests saving about a month's rent before you're called.
• Kauai's landlord payments may run late: a September 24, 2026 county notice says Section 8 payments could be delayed by Hurricane Lowell and a September 9 fire at the Kapule Building, and that tenants can't be evicted over the county's late share.
• Maui's last opening used a random lottery, and its notice said there was "no advantage to applying immediately." That 2023 notice still lists older income limits ($57,900 for four), well below the current $74,000.

How to Apply for Section 8 in Hawaii

Hawaii renters on Oahu have 2 separate voucher agencies, HPHA and the City, while each neighbor island county has 1. Here's how to work them:

1. Apply now on Hawaii Island or Kauai if you live there or plan to. Both use WaitListCheck: HI2362-914 for Hawaii County and HI795 for Kauai.
2. Watch both Oahu agencies. HPHA says to "check back later," and Honolulu posted its last opening as a public notice in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
3. Bookmark Maui County's waitlist page, where its next public notice is likely to appear.
4. Find any agency through HUD's public housing agency contact list (opens in a new tab).
5. Submit one application per household per list. HPHA cross-checks and removes duplicates; Kauai and Maui allow one per household.
6. When you're selected, you'll verify income and household members, attend a briefing and get a voucher with a search deadline. Have a deposit saved.

The Grantsights eligibility checker points to official programs worth a look while you wait. It doesn't judge eligibility, and it can't add anyone to an island's waiting list.

Worked Examples: What You'd Pay in Honolulu, Hilo and Lihue

These are hypothetical Hawaii cases, and they skip deductions for dependents, child care and medical costs, which would trim each share.

For example, one applicant in Honolulu, a parent of two earning $3,000 a month, would pay about $900 (30% of $3,000). With Honolulu's 2026 Downtown 2-bedroom standard of $2,380, the voucher could cover up to $1,480 on a unit at that rent. The 40% first-lease cap is $1,200, so the family could take a unit up to about $2,680.

A Hilo mother with one child earning $2,000 a month would pay about $600. If Hawaii County's standard matched HUD's FY2026 2-bedroom FMR of $2,076, the voucher could pay up to $1,476.

A family of four earning $65,000 qualifies on Kauai ($2,950 under the $67,950 limit), on Maui and on Oahu. On Hawaii Island the same family is $4,500 over the $60,500 limit.

A kupuna in Lihue living alone on $1,400 a month would pay about $420. Her $16,800 a year is far below Kauai's 1-person extremely low income limit of $28,550.

What HUD Doesn't Tell You About Section 8 in Hawaii

Grantsights analysis of HUD's FY2026 income limits, both years of Fair Market Rents and the five island agency pages found 5 things the federal summary leaves out:

1. Your island decides more than your income. The same family can be under the limit on Kauai and over it in Hilo, and the open lists on November 12 were on the two islands with the lowest limits.
2. Kauai's FMR fell 9.7%. The 2-bedroom figure dropped from $2,332 to $2,105 on October 1, 2026, the biggest one-year drop of the four counties. Honolulu fell 3.8%. Lower FMRs can pull payment standards down for new voucher holders.
3. Oahu's spread is almost $1,900. Honolulu's 2026 2-bedroom standards run from $2,157 in Waimanalo to $4,030 in Hawaii Kai, so where you look matters as much as how much you earn.
4. Open lists can still mean long waits. Honolulu's July 2025 letter said only 3,000 applications would be drawn by lottery, and that it first had to serve families from its February 2023 list. A neighbor island list that stays open "until further notice" keeps growing the same way.
5. Moving between islands has a 12-month catch. According to HUD's tenant page, if you didn't live in the issuing agency's area when you applied, you usually must lease there for the first 12 months before porting.

Common Mistakes and Red Flags

A common mistake in Hawaii is applying to HPHA and assuming it covers the whole state. HPHA's voucher program covers Oahu only; Maui, Hawaii and Kauai counties each run their own.

Other mistakes Hawaii applicants make:

• Relying on old income charts. Maui's 2023 notice shows $57,900 for four; the FY2026 limit is $74,000.
• Waiting to apply on Kauai. Its list is first come, first served within each preference group.
• Missing mail from Hawaii County. Letters come with due dates, and a stale PO box can cost you the voucher.
• Showing up with no deposit saved. Hawaii County says it doesn't provide security deposits.
• Underestimating the wait on Oahu and skipping food, power and rent help meanwhile.

Red flags for scams: avoid anyone who asks for money to put you on an island list. Watch for:

• Social media posts announcing a "Hawaii Section 8 lottery" that isn't on the county's own site.
• Calls or texts saying you've been approved and owe a processing fee.
• Sign-up forms on web addresses that aren't the county's or WaitListCheck's.

For examples of how these schemes operate, read the FTC's Section 8 scam alert (opens in a new tab). Before applying anywhere, confirm the opening on the county's own .gov page or in HUD's agency list.

Other Hawaii Help While You Wait

If your household earns under the 30% lines above (for example, $41,600 for three in Honolulu), other programs may help sooner than a voucher. For electric bills, see the Hawaii energy assistance guide. Food help is in the Hawaii food stamps guide, and health coverage in the Hawaii Medicaid income limits guide. The rental assistance programs guide covers back rent and deposits, and the emergency cash assistance guide covers short-term help.

Comparing Hawaii with the mainland? The California Section 8 guide and the Arizona Section 8 guide cover the West's biggest housing agencies.

FAQ: Hawaii Section 8

What's the Section 8 income limit for one person on Maui? $51,800 at the 50% level and $31,100 at the 30% level under HUD's FY2026 limits.

Who runs Section 8 on Molokai and Lanai? The County of Maui; its utility allowance schedule covers Maui, Molokai and Lanai.

How do I check my place on the Big Island list? Through WaitListCheck, linked from the County of Hawaii's waiting list page.

Can I use the Kauai kiosk instead of a phone? Yes. Kauai's notice says applicants without computer access can use the lobby kiosk and should book at least 2 days ahead.

Does Honolulu give preference to families? Its Section 8 page says elderly, disabled or displaced applicants and families of two or more get preference over single persons.

Sources

• HUD USER: Hawaii county income limits, FY2026 (opens in a new tab) and the FY2026 documentation system (opens in a new tab)
• HUD USER: Fair Market Rent data (opens in a new tab), FY2026 and FY2027
• HUD: FY2027 Fair Market Rent notice (opens in a new tab)
• HHS ASPE: 2026 poverty guidelines (opens in a new tab)
• HUD: voucher tenant page (opens in a new tab) and agency contacts (opens in a new tab)
• eCFR: 24 CFR 982.201 (opens in a new tab) and 24 CFR 982.508 (opens in a new tab)
• Hawaii Public Housing Authority, how to apply (opens in a new tab) and voucher programs (opens in a new tab)
• City and County of Honolulu, Section 8 eligibility (opens in a new tab) and 2026 payment standards (opens in a new tab)
• County of Maui, Section 8 waitlist information (opens in a new tab)
• County of Hawaii, waiting list (opens in a new tab)
• Kauai County Housing Agency, Section 8 rental assistance (opens in a new tab)
• FTC: Section 8 scam alert (opens in a new tab)

Hawaii figures checked November 12, 2026.