The Housing and Community Development Division develops affordable housing with government resources, plans and monitors affordable housing with private developers, monitors restrictions on affordable projects, provides research and community education regarding housing needs and solutions, administers the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG), the Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME) Program, Residential Rehabilitation and Home-Buyer Loan Programs, various fair housing activities, and other related County, State, and federal housing programs.

HOME is a federal block grant program enacted into law through the National Affordable Housing Act of 1990.  HOME fulfills three specific goals:

• Expand the supply of decent, safe, sanitary, and affordable housing, with the primary focus on rental housing, for very-low and low-income Americans;
• Strengthen the abilities of states and units of general local government to design and implement strategies for achieving adequate supplies of decent, affordable housing; and
• Encourage public, private, and non-profit partnerships in addressing affordable housing needs.

The County provides grants and loans directly to eligible applicants to implement affordable housing activities to benefit low-income households below 80% of Kauai's median income.  An eligible applicant is any public agency, private non-profit organization, or private for-profit entity.  Individuals are not eligible to apply for HOME assistance. 

2018 HOME Program Rents

CDBG is the longest running federal grant program administered nationwide and funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The goal of the CDBG program is to develop and improve communities, principally for low and moderate income persons, by providing decent housing, a suitable living environment and expanded economic opportunities.

The Hawaii Housing Planning Study (HHPS) provides housing planners with contemporary data on the housing situation in Hawaii to support planning activity.  The most recent HHPS is located here: Hawaii Housing Planing Study 2016