Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant Program

What is the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant (NHHBG) Program?

The Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant (NHHBG) program was authorized by the American Homeownership and Economic Opportunity Act of 2000 (PL 106-569). This Act amends the Native American Housing Assistance and Self Determination Act (NAHASDA) of 1996 and creates a new Title VIII - Housing Assistance for Native Hawaiians.

The regulations for the NHHBG program was published as an Interim Rule on June 13, 2002, and is found at 24 CFR part 1006. The Final Rule was published in the Federal Register on November 28, 2003.

The NHHBG program is administered by HUD's Office of Native American Programs. The Hawaii State Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) is the sole recipient of NHHBG funds.

The use of NHHBG funds is limited to eligible affordable housing activities for low-income (not exceeding 80% of the median income for the area) native Hawaiians eligible to reside on Hawaiian home lands. Eligible activities include new construction, rehabilitation, acquisition, infrastructure, and various support services. Housing can be either rental or homeownership. NHHBG funds can also be used for certain types of community facilities if the facilities serve eligible residents of affordable housing.

In order to qualify for an annual grant, the DHHL is required to submit proposed activities in an annual Native Hawaiian Housing Plan to HUD for review. Grant funds are then made available to the DHHL by HUD to be used in accordance with the housing plan.

The DHHL has identified an assortment of affordable housing activities to address critical housing needs of native Hawaiians throughout the state of Hawaii. Development activities that are currently being implemented include site improvements for new construction of affordable housing and financial assistance for eligible families to acquire and rehabilitate affordable housing. Among other eligible activities, DHHL is also using NHHBG funds to provide housing services, including homeownership counseling and technical assistance, to prepare families for home purchase and ownership.

What's New

PIH Notice 2024-14, Affordable Housing Activities Under Title VIII of NAHASDA (NHHBG)

The purpose of this Notice is to provide the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) with guidance on eligible affordable housing activities and administrative expenses under the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant (NHHBG) program, pursuant to title VIII of NAHASDA.

Notice PIH 2024-06, Native Hawaiian Transition and implementation of the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (HOTMA)

The purpose of this notice is to provide guidance to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) on the transition period preceding the implementation of program changes brought about by the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016 (HOTMA) and detailed in the final rule published in the Federal Register at 88 FR 9600 on February 14, 2023. Through this notice, HUD is providing DHHL a one-year transition period until January 1, 2025, to comply with the new definition of “annual income” as modified by HOTMA under the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant (NHHBG) program.

Implementing Rental Housing Assistance for the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant Program

This final rule was published in the Federal Register on February 12, 2024, which amends HUD's regulations for the NHHBG program at 24 CFR part 1006. The amendments were designed to achieve three outcomes: ensure compliance with the NHHBG program's statutory requirements; promote consistency between NHHBG and IHBG program regulations where the programs' statutory requirements overlap; and clarify the NHHBG regulatory framework for rental housing assistance.

For more information on these Native Hawaiian Programs, please contact a Native Hawaiian Program Specialist, in the HUD Honolulu Field Office by clicking the following link to email:

Claudine Allen or by phone at (808) 457-4674

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
1003 Bishop Street, Suite 2100
Honolulu, HI 96813