Office of Community Services (OCS)

Last Updated 09/12/2022

The Office of Community Services (OCS) administers the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), which Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance’s (CFDA) number is 81.042, under a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).  WAP helps low-income families and individuals reduce their energy bill by installing weatherization measures into their homes, and by providing education to the participants and community about energy efficiency.

On November 15, 2021, the President signed into law the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58), also referred to as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which provides $3.5 billion in funding for Weatherization. OCS will be submitting an application to receive an estimated funding amount of $3,641,796.00 in BIL funding for Weatherization.

During Program Year (PY) 2020, July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021, Hawaii was awarded $302,402.00 to conduct WAP services, which resulted in weatherization measures installed into 48 dwelling units.  For PY 2021, Hawaii was awarded a total of $280,638.00.  OCS is working with the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to provide additional weatherization services to eligible low-income persons and families.  To be eligible a potential participant must be within the 200% Federal Poverty Guideline, and priority is given to elderly (60 years old and older), persons with disabilities, families with children, high residential energy users, and households with high energy burden.

Depending on a person’s or family’s eligibility, the following energy efficient weatherization measures, that are pre-approved on the Hawaii’s Weatherization Assistance Program Priority List for Single-Family Homes, could be installed:

• Low-Flow Showerheads & Faucet Aerators;
• CFL or LED Lighting;
• Advanced Power Strip;
• Hybrid Heat Pump Water Heater or Solar Water Heater;
• Small Room Air Conditioner;
• Very Large Room Air Conditioner; and
• Refrigerator Replacement.

If you are interested in enrolling in WAP, please contact the agency in your respective county.  OCS has contracted with four Community Action Agencies to administer weatherization services.  The agencies that are providing WAP services are:

Community Action Agencies	Contact Person	Email	Phone Number
Kauai Economic Opportunity, Inc.	Jason Honjiyo	[email protected]	(808) 245-4077
Honolulu Community Action Program	Georgette Aki	[email protected]	(808) 521-4531
Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council	Loke Kuamoo	[email protected]	(808) 731-7009
Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc.	Nicanor Saladino	[email protected]	(808) 249-2990

You can find the Draft Hawaii’s PY 2023 State Plan here.

Notice of Public Hearing

Weatherization Assistance Program State Plan

The State of Hawaii is eligible to receive $298,705 in federal funds with additional $72,845.00 (Readiness Fund) from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through its Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) for the July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024 Program Year (PY) 2023. Estimated carry over from WAP PY22 is $116,279.74 (subject to change). In Hawaii, WAP funds are used to help low-income households reduce their energy costs by providing energy conservation education and weatherization measures on a statewide basis.

The State Office of Community Services (OCS) will be holding a public hearing remotely on the PY 2023 WAP State Plan on Friday, April 14, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. The hearing will be conducted via teleconference and video conference. OCS has a procurement exemption which allows Honolulu Community Action Program, Inc., Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council, Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc., and Kauai Economic Opportunity, Inc. to provide WAP services statewide, pursuant to Title 10 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 440. A copy of the State Plan can be provided upon request ([email protected]). Persons with special needs should email OCS at [email protected] by Tuesday, April 11, 2023, to make appropriate arrangements.

The public is welcome to attend via their computers to provide comments during the hearing. To join the meeting from your computer, tablet, or smartphone, please type in the website address below:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81380165457?pwd=RWdSMGhhR2xIb09YVFZYYU1qemt1Zz09

Meeting ID: 813 8016 5457
Passcode: T5keEi

Written comments may be submitted to OCS (email: [email protected]; regular mail: Office of Community Services, 830 Punchbowl Street, Room 420, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813) until Tuesday, April 11, 2023 for consideration at the hearing. Information received will be considered prior to submittal for the PY 2023 WAP State Plan to the DOE.

By: Jovanie Domingo Dela Cruz

Executive Director

Office of Community Services

Click here for a copy of the approved WAP PY22 State Plan.

Notice of Public Hearing
Weatherization Assistance Program Bipartisan Infrastructure Law State Plan

The State of Hawaii is eligible to receive $3,641,796 in federal funds from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through its Weatherization Assistance Program Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (WAP BIL) from October 1, 2022 – June 30, 2027 Program Years (PY) 2022 – 2027. In Hawaii, WAP BIL funds will be used to help low-income households reduce their energy costs by providing energy conservation education and weatherization measures on a statewide basis.

The State Office of Community Services (OCS) will be holding a public hearing remotely on the WAP BIL State Plan on Monday, September 26, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. The hearing will be conducted via teleconference and video conference. No in-person testimony will be taken, as necessitated by COVID-19 health and safety concerns. OCS has a procurement exemption that allows Honolulu Community Action Program, Inc., Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council, Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc., and Kauai Economic Opportunity, Inc. to provide WAP BIL services statewide, pursuant to Title 10 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 440. A copy of the draft WAP BIL State Plan can be provided upon request ([email protected]). Persons with special needs should email OCS at [email protected] by Wednesday, September 21, 2022, to make appropriate arrangements.

The public is welcome to attend via their computers to provide comments during the hearing. To join the meeting from your computer, tablet, or smartphone, please type in the website address below:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82933523346?pwd=MzVCc0R1ekJLU0JqK1hjeGlVQjZKdz09

Meeting ID: 829 3352 3346

Passcode: 68GyzD

To join the meeting from your telephone, please call 1 (719) 359 – 4580. The meeting ID will be 829 3352 3346, and the passcode will be 470430.

Written comments may be submitted to OCS (email: [email protected]; regular mail: Office of Community Services, 830 Punchbowl Street, Room 420, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813) until Wednesday, September 21, 2022 for consideration at the hearing. Information received will be considered prior to submittal for the WAP BIL State Plan to the DOE.

By: Jovanie Domingo Dela Cruz
Executive Director
Office of Community Services

Click here for a copy of the draft WAP BIL State Plan.

Click on the links below for:

Hawaii’s Approved Priority List (updated and approved by Department of Energy on July 7, 2021)

Hawaii’s WAP Field Guide (updated and approved by Department of Energy on March 22, 2022)

Hawaii’s WAP Health and Safety Plan (approved by Department of Energy with PY2022 State Plan)