Welcome Tenants

The following questions and answers have been taken directly from the HPHA official website. You may visit the site using this link to read from their site directly.

Fair Housing Issues

Housing Applicant Issues

I applied for housing and was denied.  I feel they were not fair to me and my family.  What can I do about it?

Answer: If you were denied for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program assistance, you may submit a written request for an "informal review within 15 days from the date of HPHA's notification of denial of assistance."  If you were denied for the public housing program, you may request an "informal hearing within 14 working days from the date of notification of ineligibility."

Tenants of HPHA Administered Housing Programs

Who can I talk to if I think I have a Fair Housing complaint?

Answer: You can call the HPHA's Fair Housing Officer at 808-832-4690 or TDD 808-832-6083 or hpha@hawaii.gov.

Does Fair Housing apply to the disabled or a single parent with two children?

Answer: Yes, a person with a disability is covered under the Fair Housing laws.  A single parent with children (under the age of 18) would also be covered under the Fair Housing laws.  The federal and State laws protect individuals or families on the basis of race, color, sex, ancestry/national origin, disability, familial status (a family with children under the age of 18), religion, age, marital status HIV infections or sexual orientation and gender identity.

I am disabled and would like to apply for family housing assistance in a federal public housing project.  When my family is placed on the waiting list or offered a unit, will I be forced to take an accessible unit?  I don't want an accessible unit because it will cause problems for the rest of my family.

Answer: You will NOT be placed on a waiting list for an accessible unit or offered one unless you specifically apply for an accessible housing unit that is appropriate for you.  You must indicate on the application form the type of unit you are seeking.  If an accessible unit is NOT requested on your form, one will NOT be offered to you nor will you be forced to accept an accessible unit. 

I live in a federal public housing project and recently I was injured in a car accident and became physically disabled and now am confined to a wheel chair.  How do I get my unit changed to make my unit easier to live in with my disability?  Will HPHA pay for it?

Answer: You must visit your Project Management Office and inform the HPHA personnel that you would like to request for a reasonable modification to your unit because of your disability.  A form will be given to you to complete and return to the Management Office.  HPHA will consider all requests for reasonable modification and will pay for the modification unless it is an undue financial or administrative burden.

My family lives in a Section 8 Tenant-Based home and my husband is hearing impaired.  Can I have my landlord install and pay for an alert light when the door bell or the phone rings?

Answer: You may ask your landlord for a reasonable accommodation to install an alert light when the door bell or phone rings.  If your husband's disability and the need for the alert light is confirmed by a third party (i.e., your doctor), your landlord is obligated to allow you to install the alert light, but you must pay for the light and its installation.

Other Fair Housing Issues

Who can I call if I feel that someone has violated my Fair Housing rights?

Answer: You should contact the HPHA's Fair Housing Officer at 808-832-4690 or TDD 808-832-6083 or hpha@hawaii.gov.

Do I have to file a written complaint before someone will help me?

Answer: No written complaint is needed.  You can contact the HPHA's Fair Housing Officer at 808-832-4690 or TDD 808-832-6083 or hpha@hawaii.gov.

It is HPHA's policy not to unlawfully discriminate in housing due to an individual's protected basis of race, color, sex, ancestry/national origin, disability, familial status (a family with children under the age of 18), religion, age, marital status or HIV infections, as stated in Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS), Chapters 368 and 515, as administered by the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission; and the Civil Rights Act of 1968, as amended by the Fair Housing Act of 1988, and as administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

If you believe that you have been, presently are or may be a victim of housing discrimination, you should call the Hawaii State Civil Rights Commission at:

• Oahu: 808-586-8636 or TDD 808-586-8692
• Hawaii: 808-974-4000 Ext. 68636 or TDD Ext. 68692
• Kauai: 808-274-3141 Ext 68636 or TDD Ext. 68692
• Maui: 808-984-2400 Ext 68636 or TDD Ext. 68692
• Molokai and Lanai: 1-800-468-4644 Ext 68636 or TDD Ext. 68692