Welcome to the Office of Housing and Community Development’s HOTMA Resources page. This is a resource center for the public to keep up to date with the County of Hawaiʻi's implementation of the Housing Opportunities Through Modernization Act of 2016.
HOTMA stands for the Housing Opportunities Through Modernization Act of 2016.
The federal Housing Opportunities Through Modernization Act, signed into law on July 29, 2016, changes many aspects of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Rental Assistance Programs, including the housing voucher program commonly known as Section 8, by streamlining processes and reducing burdens on participants and housing providers.
Following the signing of HOTMA in 2016, HUD released a proposed rule in September 2019 and published a final rule in February 2023. The implementation notice for the final rule was published in September 2023.
The County of Hawaiʻi Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD) is following current U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the Housing Opportunities Through Modernization Act of 2016. The OHCD will set an implementation date will be set in the coming months.
How HOTMA may affect a participant household cannot be determined until the OHCD has completed an interim or annual re-exam, whichever should come first. Because each household is unique, a full file review that takes many hours and/or days to complete is required. Once the re-exam is completed, the household will be notified of any impact to assistance.
HOTMA questions, including inquiries on how the policy may affect a participant household, will not be answered over the phone or via email.
In the meantime, please review these HUD-created fact sheets and training videos that explain in detail the HOTMA changes:
Video: HOTMA: What Does it Mean for Me? Part 1: Income and Reviews
Video: HOTMA: What Does it Mean for Me? Part 2: Asset and Real Property Limitations
Please visit HUD's HOTMA Resident Resources page for additional information and resources.
The OHCD will update this page as additional information and resources become available.