Hawaiʻi County Awards Nearly $6.5 Million in Kīlauea Grants to Puna Nonprofits

Hawaiʻi County Council authorized funds for Kīlauea recovery projects affecting Puna, with Granicus records for Res. 459-26 stating, "Provides $6,478,873 in grant funds to various nonprofit organizations to provide relief, recovery, mitigation, and long-term resilience for disaster damages, losses, and suffering caused by the 2018 Kīlauea eruption." The Granicus resolution, introduced by Council Member Ashley L. Kierkiewicz, places the official authorized total at $6,478,873.

The voting and reporting around the awards show inconsistent accounts. The Hawaii Tribune-Herald summarized the action this way: "The Hawaii County Council unanimously approved a resolution Wednesday awarding nearly $6 million from the Kīlauea Recovery Grant Program to a variety of local nonprofit organizations providing relief to communities impacted by the 2018 lower Puna eruption." The Tribune-Herald published a line-item list of grantees and amounts that, when added, total $5,705,884, a difference of $772,989 from the Granicus total.

The Tribune-Herald line items list projects and amounts exactly as reported: Malama O Puna, Vacationland Road Restoration, $500,000; Kapoho Kai water system restoration, $140,940; Hawaiian Shores water resiliency project, $215,600; Shared Use Kitchen, $202,000. Hawaii’s Volcano Circus, Post-Kilauea eruption restoration of Seaview Performing Arts Center, $500,000; Red Road resilience outreach, $100,000; Red Road all communities disaster initiative, $42,000. Puna Rising Ohana, Leilani road restoration, $500,000; Iolani farm restoration, $69,606. Hooulu Lahui, Noho Paʻa, subdivision phase of campus site acquisition, $475,000. Arts and Sciences Center, Campus expansion grading and site preparation, $434,000. Pahoa Lava Zone Museum, Railroad Avenue restoration, $203,887; Holo Lio Road restoration, Part 2, $81,991; Malama Road restoration, $32,000; Hale Halewai O Puna, Phase 2, $200,000. Synergistic Hawaii Agriculture Council, Infrastructure for floriculture workforce development, $123,626; Orchid floriculture workforce development, $376,373. O Makuu Ke Kahua, O Makuu Mala and farm to market program and community center, $400,000. Neighborhood Place of Puna, Puna Ōpio hub, $352,007. Kupu, Kupu Aina Corps, $300,000. Hawaii Environmental Restoration, Puna Perfect Project, $236,438. The Food Basket, Kokua Harvest, $220,416. Those line items total $5,705,884.

Granicus material and the Res. 459-26 text represent the county-authorized allocation. The County Committee on Finance had scheduled the resolution under its February 17, 2026 notice for the 29th Session, and Res. 460-26, a separate authorization to enter a multi-year lease for the Office of the Corporation Counsel, appears on the same resolutions order.

Separately, local reporting identified a different $6 million allocation tied to the county’s Homelessness and Housing Fund. Big Island Now reported, "The Hawaiʻi County Council passed a $6 million resolution Wednesday to fund 12 programs from eight nonprofits despite ongoing discussions about inefficient spending and confusing results from the service providers." Big Island Now tied that package to the Homelessness and Housing Fund, noting, "The grants are part of the county’s Homelessness and Housing Fund, which directs 75% of Residential Tier Two property tax revenues to programs addressing homelessness and housing in Hawaiʻi County. The fund will expire in 2027." Big Island Now further reported the vote on that $6 million as 5-4 and listed program allocations including Big Island Substance Abuse Council, $600,000 for Hulihia Ke Ola: Detox and Stabilization Program and $200,000 for Mohala Family Resource Center; Hale Kipa, $450,000; HOPE Services Hawaiʻi, $600,000; Lōkahi Treatment Centers, $260,000; Neighborhood Place of Puna, $950,000.

The apparent mismatch between the Granicus authorized total of $6,478,873 and the Tribune-Herald line-item subtotal of $5,705,884 requires administrative clarification. I will request the Planning Department's full awards schedule tied to Res. 459-26, the official roll-call for the Council action, and staff reports that show whether additional grantees, administrative set-asides, or contingency amounts account for the $772,989 gap. Reconciled documentation is necessary to ensure that allocations for Vacationland Road, Seaview Performing Arts Center, Leilani road restoration, Puna Ōpio hub and other named Puna projects match the county-authorized commitments and reporting for post-2018 eruption recovery.