Haw. Rev. Stat. § 356D § 356D-1
Definitions.
Operative Text
The following terms, wherever used or referred to in this chapter shall have the following respective meanings, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context: "Authority" means the Hawaii public housing authority. "Board" means the board of directors of the Hawaii public housing authority. "Bonds" means any bonds, interim certificates, notes, debentures, participation certificates, pass-through certificates, mortgage-backed obligations, or other evidences of indebtedness of the authority issued pursuant to this chapter. "Community facilities" includes real and personal property; buildings, equipment, lands, and grounds for recreational or social assemblies, and for educational, health, or welfare purposes; and necessary or convenient utilities, when designed primarily for the benefit and use of the authority or the occupants of the dwelling units. "Contract" means any agreement of the authority with an obligee or a trustee for the obligee, whether contained in a resolution, trust indenture, mortgage, lease, bond, or other instrument. "Dwelling", "dwelling unit", or "unit" means any structure or room, for sale, lease, or rent, that provides shelter. "Elder" or "elderly" means a person who is a resident of the State and has attained the age of sixty-two years. "Elder or elderly households" means households in which at least one member is sixty-two years of age, the spouse or partner has attained eighteen years of age, and the remaining members have attained the age of fifty-five years at the time of application to the project. "Elder or elderly housing" means: (1) A housing project intended for and occupied by elder or elderly households; or (2) Housing provided under any state or federal program that the Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development determines is specifically designed and operated to assist elder or elderly persons, or if the Secretary makes a determination, the project may also be occupied by persons with disabilities who have reached eighteen years of age. "Executive director" means the executive director of the Hawaii public housing authority. "Federal government" includes the United States and any agency or instrumentality, corporate or otherwise, of the United States. "Government" or "government agency" includes the State and the United States and any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality, corporate or otherwise, of either of them. "Household member" means a person who: (1) Is a co-applicant; or (2) Will reside in the dwelling unit leased or rented from the authority. "Housing" or "housing project" means any home, house, residence, building, apartment, living quarters, abode, domicile, or dwelling unit that is designed principally for the purposes of sheltering people. "Land" or "property" includes vacant land or land with site improvements whether partially or entirely finished in accordance with governmental subdivision standards, or with complete dwellings. "Live-in aide" means a person who: (1) Is eighteen years of age or older; (2) Is living in the unit solely to assist the elder or elderly person in daily living activities including bathing, meal preparation and delivery, medicinal care, transportation, and physical activities; (3) Is not legally obligated to support the elder or elderly person; and (4) Is verified by the authority as meeting these requirements. "Mortgage holder" includes the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Housing Administration, the United States Department of Agriculture, or other federal or state agency engaged in housing activity, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Federal National Mortgage Association, Government National Mortgage Association, Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, private mortgage lender, private mortgage insurer, and their successors, grantees, and assigns. "Mortgage lender" means any bank, trust company, savings bank, national banking association, savings and loan association, building and loan association, mortgage banker, credit union, insurance company, or any other financial institution, or a holding company for any of the foregoing, that: (1) Is authorized to do business in the State; (2) Customarily provides service or otherwise aids in the financing of mortgages on single-family or multifamily residential property; and (3) Is a financial institution whose accounts are federally insured or is an institution that is an approved mortgagee for the Federal Housing Administration, an approved lender for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or the United States Department of Agriculture, or an approved mortgage loan servicer for the Federal National Mortgage Association or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation. "Nonprofit organization" means a corporation, association, or other duly chartered entity that is registered with the State and has received a written determination from the Internal Revenue Service that it is exempt under either section 501(c)(3), section 501(c)(4), or so much of section 501(c)(2) as applies to title holding corporations that turn over their income to organizations that are exempt under either section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4), of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. "Obligee of the authority" or "obligee" includes any bondholder, trustee or trustees for any bondholders, any lessor demising property to the authority used in connection with a housing project, or any assignee or assignees of the lessor's interest or any part thereof, and the United States, when it is a party to any contract with the authority. "Public housing project" or "complex" means a housing project directly controlled, owned, developed, or managed by the authority pursuant to any federally assisted housing as defined in title 24 Code of Federal Regulations section 5.100, but does not include state low-income housing projects as defined in section 356D-51. "Real property" includes lands, land under water, structures, and any and all easements, franchises, and incorporeal hereditaments and every estate and right therein, legal and equitable, including terms for years and liens by way of judgment, mortgage, or otherwise. "Tenant" means any person occupying a dwelling unit or living quarters in any public housing project, under or by virtue of any tenancy lease or rental agreement under or from the authority. "Trustee" means a national or state bank or trust company located within or outside the State that enters into a trust indenture. "Trust indenture" means an agreement by and between the authority and the trustee, that sets forth the duties of the trustee with respect to the bonds, the security therefor, and other provisions as deemed necessary or convenient by the authority to secure the bonds. [L 2006, c 180, pt of §2; am L 2007, c 193, §3; am L 2013, c 149, §1; am L 2022, c 251, §2; am L 2025, c 89, §1]
Hawaii Revised Statutes § 356D-1 establishes the foundational vocabulary for all of Chapter 356D, which governs the Hawaii Public Housing Authority. Each defined term — from "dwelling unit" and "tenant" to "elder or elderly households" and "live-in aide" — carries a specific legal meaning that applies throughout the chapter unless context clearly indicates otherwise. These definitions shape how eligibility, authority powers, financial instruments, and housing project classifications are interpreted under Hawaii's public housing law. The definitions do not themselves impose obligations or grant rights, but they determine how the substantive provisions of the chapter are read and applied.
Plain English — not legal advice.
As the Hawaii Public Housing Authority (HPHA) is the relevant operator under § 356D-1, property owners and managers working with or under the authority should familiarize themselves with the chapter's defined terms, since these definitions govern how agreements, leases, and project classifications are interpreted. For example, the definitions of "tenant," "household member," and "live-in aide" directly affect who may lawfully occupy a unit and under what conditions. Operators engaged in elder or elderly housing projects should note that § 356D-1 sets specific age thresholds for household members that inform eligibility determinations at the time of application.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
For individuals living in or applying to Hawaii public housing, § 356D-1 defines key terms — including "tenant," "dwelling unit," "elder or elderly," and "live-in aide" — that determine how rights and eligibility are assessed throughout Chapter 356D. Understanding these definitions can be relevant when a household member's status, a live-in aide arrangement, or a unit classification is in question. Tenants who believe a term has been misapplied to their situation may wish to consult the Hawaii Public Housing Authority directly, review the chapter's substantive provisions, or reach out to a tenant-rights organization familiar with Hawaii public housing law.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 23, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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