OHA approves up to $6.1 million in emergency aid for Native Hawaiians affected by federal shutdown

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs on Nov. 6 approved the administration’s plan to provide up to $6,100,000 in emergency assistance to Native Hawaiians affected by the Oct. 2025 federal government shutdown, including people who lost SNAP benefits and furloughed federal civilian workers.

The board voted to adopt the administration’s Option 1, which splits funds into two targeted tranches: an “essential needs” stipend for beneficiaries receiving SNAP but excluded from the state relief program, and an income‑bridge stipend for furloughed Native Hawaiian federal employees. Trustees approved the plan after hearing that OHA’s administration identified unspent carryover budget balances from prior fiscal years and liquidated $6.1 million to make the funds immediately available.

Why it matters: staff said many Native Hawaiians were left out of state relief or faced delayed state or federal payments. The board and administration framed the disbursement as a stopgap to prevent immediate food and housing insecurity while…