affordable housing

Local officials and advocates are celebrating the passage of significant housing reform bills that made it through the state legislative session. Perhaps the most notable — and controversial — of those measures is a bill that forces the counties to increase the number of accessory dwelling units allowed on residential properties in urban areas by 2026. HPR's Mark Ladao has more.

Senate Bill 3202 would allow two accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, to be built on residential properties. Most of the opposition came from lawmakers who represent urban Honolulu.

The city wants to build 18,000 affordable housing units by fiscal year 2029, according to its 2023 housing plan, but the availability of land and city funding continue to be two of some of the most expensive obstacles to doing that.

The bill would amend a $10 million city program by offering grants to developers before the construction of rental units, instead of just after construction. It would also allow developers to receive up to $35,000 per eligible unit — up from a maximum of $15,000.

A controversial state bill to add to Hawaiʻi’s affordable housing supply just got its major provisions removed. Homeowners with larger properties would have been able to subdivide their properties into smaller properties, each with three separate housing units.

On Monday the council formally approved a resolution opposing Senate Bill 3202 and its now-dead House companion bill, which would allow up to two additional dwelling units on residential properties in urban areas.

The council has introduced a resolution opposing Senate Bill 3202, which would allow at least two additional dwelling units to be built on residentially zoned properties in urban districts.

After decades of subpar living conditions, Molokaʻi kūpuna in the Hawaiian homestead community of Nāʻiwa are preparing to move into new, affordable tiny homes on wheels.

Mayor Rick Blangiardi's proposed budget includes a $3.63 billion operating budget and a $919 million capital improvement program. The largest chunk of the capital improvement budget was taken up by $445 million in wastewater projects. HPR's Ashley Mizuo reports.

Affordable housing project developers are given funding subsidies and in return, they agree to keep their units affordable for a set period of time. But that time is coming to an end for some properties. HPR's Ashley Mizuo has the story.